May 18, 2024: Arjun Kadhe and Anirudh Chandrasekar addressed the press following their victory at the ATP Oeiras Challenger in Portugal. The Indian duo had plenty to discuss regarding their goals, Sumit Nagal, Rohan Bopanna and Doubles Dream of India program.
Congratulations on the week, guys! You’re now the top seeds, and just one week later, you’re the champions. How do you feel after securing this title here in Oeiras?
Arjun Kadhe: It feels really, really good, you know. I’ve been here and played a few times already, and it’s a very nice facility with good memories. This year, I reached the finals in the indoor tournament, and it’s a beautiful city, so overall, it’s very pleasant to come here and play. I’m really happy to get the win today, especially since we’re starting as a new team. Hopefully, there’s a lot more to come, and yeah, I’m really excited.
Anirudh Chandrasekar: For me, Lisbon always brings good vibes because I love coming here, and that probably contributed to our win today. It’s just the positive energy that the city exudes. The tournament was incredible for us, as Arjun mentioned. We’re a new team, having played together only once before last year, and now we’re just starting to gel. I feel we coordinate well on the court, and we’re definitely aiming for much more in the future. It’s a surreal feeling to win the tournament in our first outing as partners, so I’m really pleased with everything.
This is your second time playing together, reaching the final last year in France, and now securing the title. I believe you’re very pleased with this partnership. What are your thoughts on it?
Arjun: I think, as he said, we complement each other pretty well, and we’re still in the learning stages of figuring out how we should play. Obviously, it feels really good that in our first week playing together, we were able to beat some good teams. That should give us a lot of confidence. Going forward, I believe it’s upwards and onwards from here.
What prompted you to form a partnership now? Why not after playing in the final last year?
Arjun: I believe that last year when we reached the final together, he was already committed to his partner, who was taking a break. Then, after he became available, I had already found a partner for the initial part of this year. So, it was just a matter of time and, I guess, a bit of luck to find the right timing to come together.
How do you perceive the current state of Indian tennis, especially with players like Sumit Nagal making waves and Bopanna excelling in doubles?
Anirudh: Doubles appears promising for India, and singles is definitely gaining momentum with Sumit Nagal’s impressive performances. He’s not only boosting himself but also inspiring all Indians with his on-court achievements. In doubles, Rohan is spearheading the Indian contingent remarkably at the age of 44, which is truly incredible and inspirational. Historically, India has produced many great doubles players, and Indians generally demonstrate more skill in doubles, which explains the rising number of Indian talents in this format. Sumit’s success instills hope among Indians that singles achievements are attainable. Therefore, I anticipate seeing more Indian singles players breaking into the top 100 soon.
Why do you think you’ve excelled in doubles for so many years? Is it something you practice from the outset?
Arjun: For us, I think it’s easier to handle the half court rather than the full court (smiles). I believe it goes back to the fact that most Indians have good hand-eye coordination because that’s how we’ve grown up playing those kinds of games. Speaking of players like Sumit or Somdev who started the trend of being physically strong in singles, and now Sumit is continuing that trend, it’s really inspiring to see. Hopefully, many young people will take inspiration from this, and we’ll see more players breaking into the top 100. I firmly believe that we have a lot of talent, and the system is improving, which should facilitate this progress. When it comes to doubles, obviously, Rohan is leading the way. He is supporting us in the Doubles Dream of India program, which provides us with physios and coaches, which is really beneficial. He instills a lot of confidence in us that even at 44, you can be the best in the world, which is no small feat. There’s a lot to learn from him by playing the entire circuit throughout the year.
What are your plans moving forward? What are your goals for the next few months as a team, and what do you hope to achieve in 2024?
Arjun: We would like to enter a tournament next week, but we’re still waiting (smiles)
Anirudh: As of now, Tentative plan for us to play in Skopje challenger but our short term goal for the next few months is to atleast make the cut for US Open so thats a goal that we are setting up for ourselves and I feel its a realistic target to achieve and as Arjun said, Rohan is helping us with the doubles dream of India so we have a good pathway to take us there and I believe we can achieve that
Interview Credits: Federacao Portuguesa Tenis