Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the men’s doubles title at the China Masters 2026 in Shenzhen on 6 September 2026, beating China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu by 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in a one hour and 10 minute final. With this comeback win, they became the first Indian pair to win the China Masters in its 19 editions. The victory also gave them their 10th BWF World Tour title and their second title of the 2026 season.
What Is the China Masters Tournament?
The China Masters is an annual international badminton tournament held in China. It was started in 2005 and the 2026 event was its 19th edition. The tournament is run as part of the BWF World Tour, which is the top series of global badminton events managed by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF is the world governing body for badminton, founded in 1934 and headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The China Masters is classified as a Super 750 event. The BWF World Tour has six levels, with Super 1000 at the top, followed by Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 and Super 100, plus the season ending World Tour Finals. Super 750 is the third highest level. There are only six Super 750 tournaments in a year, along with the India Open, Singapore Open, Japan Open, Denmark Open and French Open. Winners at Super 750 level earn 11,000 world ranking points each.
The 2026 tournament, officially called the Li-Ning China Masters 2026 after its title sponsor, was played from 1 to 6 September 2026 at the Shenzhen Arena in Futian district, Shenzhen, Guangdong. Shenzhen has hosted the event since 2023. Before that it was held in Fuzhou and was known as the Fuzhou China Open. The total prize money for 2026 was $1.25 million, with 32 pairs or players in each of the five events of men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
How the Final Was Won in Shenzhen
The final was played on Court 1 of the Shenzhen Arena on 6 September 2026. Fourth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ranked world No. 5 at the time, faced home favourites He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu. The Chinese pair had once been ranked world No. 4. The Indians had beaten the same pair twice before, so the head to head stood at 2-0 in India’s favour before the final.
He and Ren started much faster. They used flat serves, sharp net play and quick smashes to race to a 5-0 lead in the first game. The rallies were short and the Indians could not control the pace. The Chinese pair kept the lead throughout and took the first game 21-11.
The Indians changed their plan in the second game. They lengthened the rallies and chose their attacking chances with care, a style they later described as mindfully aggressive. A 45 shot rally won by the Indians helped them move to 12-8. They entered the mid game break with a clear lead and closed the game 21-13 to force a decider.
The third game was a test of nerves. The Indians trailed for most of the game but stayed calm and trusted their defence. The score was level at 16-16 before Satwik and Chirag won the key points at the end. They took the decider 21-17 to seal the match in one hour and 10 minutes. This stretched their record against He and Ren to 3-0.
The road to the final had also been tough. In the semifinal on 5 September, the Indians beat Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong, ranked world No. 29, by 21-15, 18-21, 21-11. This was their third final at the China Masters after finishing as runners up in 2023 and 2025.
Prize Money and Second Title of the 2026 Season
The winning pair received $92,500 as prize money for the men’s doubles title. At the China Masters, singles and doubles winners receive different amounts because the doubles prize is shared by two players. The prize distribution for the 2025 and 2026 editions followed a fixed scale set for Super 750 events.
| Event | Winner | Runner Up | Semifinalist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singles | $85,100 | $40,250 | $17,500 |
| Doubles | $92,500 | $43,750 | $17,500 |
The Shenzhen crown was the second title of 2026 for Satwik and Chirag. They had earlier won the Singapore Open Super 750 in May 2026, beating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in three games. They had also reached the final of the Thailand Open Super 500 in the same month. Before Singapore, they had gone for more than two years without a title, partly because Satwik was recovering from a shoulder injury.
Satwik later said the time away had been used to improve his serve, as opponents were targeting his service. Better serving and patient defence in the second and third games proved decisive in Shenzhen. With this win, the pair completed their 10th career title on the BWF World Tour.
Why This Win Matters for Indian Badminton
No Indian pair had ever won the China Masters before 2026. China has dominated this tournament since 2005, with 66 titles across all five events. An Indian win in men’s doubles in Shenzhen, against a Chinese pair in front of a home crowd, is therefore a landmark result.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy was born on 13 August 2000 in Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh. Chirag Shetty was born on 12 July 1997 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. They have played together since 2016 and are coached at the national camp in Hyderabad. Satwik plays from the back court with his powerful smash, while Chirag controls the front court with quick interceptions.
The pair already holds several firsts for India. They are the only Indian doubles pair to reach world No. 1. They won gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, which was India’s first ever badminton gold at the Asian Games. They won gold at the Badminton Asia Championships 2023 in Dubai, which was India’s first gold at that event in 58 years. They also won gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, were part of India’s historic Thomas Cup win in 2022, and have won two bronze medals at the World Championships. In 2023, Satwik set a Guinness World Record with a smash measured at 565 kilometres per hour, the fastest recorded hit in badminton.
The timing of the Shenzhen win is also important. The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi and Nagoya in Japan begin on 19 September 2026. Satwik and Chirag will enter as defending champions in men’s doubles. A Super 750 title against top opponents, after three three game matches in the same week, gives them ranking points, match practice and confidence before the defence of that gold.
Key Takeaways
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the China Masters 2026 men’s doubles title on 6 September 2026 in Shenzhen.
- They beat China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu by 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 and became the first Indian pair to win the China Masters.
- The event was the 19th edition of the China Masters, a BWF Super 750 tournament with total prize money of $1.25 million.
- The winners received $92,500 in prize money for the men’s doubles title.
- The Shenzhen win was their 10th BWF World Tour title and their second title of 2026 after the Singapore Open Super 750.
- Satwik and Chirag are the only Indian doubles pair to reach world No. 1 and the winners of India’s first Asian Games badminton gold in 2023.
