Sathiyan 2.0: Smarter, stronger, and ready for a new peak

For Sathiyan, it has been a rough couple of years. 

Since 2023, he has had to endure injuries that kept him from playing at his best. And spells on the sidelines meant missed tournaments.

Since 2024, however, and thanks to rigorous focus on his fitness, he has turned over a new leaf.

With renewed focus, he is clawing his way to the top.

Now, at the 2025 National Games, representing his home state Tamil Nadu, Sathiyan has proven his mettle, winning three medals at the National Games (bronze in the team event, silver in men's singles, and gold in men's doubles).

"I am feeling much better and I am playing at a very good level now," he said, in an exclusive interview with The Bridge.

"It is always a special feeling when you represent the country for so long, and you come back and get an opportunity to play for your state. I am glad I am back," he added.

'See-saw' battle 

The road to the Paris Olympics was frustrating for Sathiyan, as recurring back injuries derailed his qualification hopes.

It began after the Hangzhou Asian Games, where minor back spasms escalated, forcing him to concede a national ranking match against Manav Thakkar.

“Everything is fine now. I had my rehab back in 2023. It was a tough period, battling injuries during the Olympic qualification cycle,” he said.

Despite regaining full fitness, the damage was done, he lost his spot in the squad and had to wear the tag of a reserve player.

His comeback win at the Beirut Challenger in March 2024 came too late as the Olympic qualification window had already closed.

“I was super fit during the Olympics, but before the qualification period, I couldn’t make it to the team,” he recalled.

Instead of dwelling on setbacks, Sathiyan is now focused on the bigger picture, preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“Those four, five months were a great learning experience. I’ll be much fitter and stronger for LA,” he affirmed.

Optimizing routines 

Sathiyan, who had a fairly injury-free career until that point, saw this one injury as an opportunity to assess what he had been doing wrong, and in retrospect, seems to have identified the cause. 

"I didn't have a proper routine of rehab and fitness when I was playing during my peak. I kept playing a lot of tournaments and tiring myself out," he remarked. 

"We (him and his rehab team) followed a proper routine, working more on the strength side as well. That was the key element," he added. 

With the routines in place, Sathiyan also had to take calls on which tournaments he should play and he did admit it was a 'tough choice' but one that had to be made. 

"With WTT coming in, there are a lot of tournaments happening all around the world. The demand is very high on the body," he said. 

"Me and my team have been working on which tournaments to play, how to plan the calendar. It is a tough journey but we are up for the challenge," he added. 

With Table Tennis out of the Commonwealth Games, Sathiyan expressed his disappointment.

"The Commonwealth Games are very special to the table tennis fraternity. It is the stepping stone for young table tennis players to come in and win medals, and then go to the Asian level, the world, and the Olympics." 

'Sathiyan 2.0' 

After an initial peak between 2014-2022, where Sathiyan climbed to the top-25 in the men's world ranking, becoming the first Indian to do so, he is now back to his best with similar aspirations. 

"My goal is to first enter into the top-50 (world rankings), and then into the top-25 and top-20," he said. 

Referring to his renewed resurgence as 'Sathiyan 2.0,' the 32-year-old is keen not to repeat the mistakes of the past. 

"Sathiyan 2.0 will be working smarter, making better decisions, in terms of playing tournaments, fitness, and trying out new things," he said. 

"This is the second phase of my career. I have always loved competing, loved representing my country and state. That (passion) would remain the same, but I will work smarter," he added. 

Sathiyan also shared his optimism for the future of Indian Table Tennis, taking note of the sport's progress in the country over the past few years. 

"Not just in men and women, even in the junior and cadet section, a lot of growth has happened in the Indian Table Tennis fraternity. I'm very sure we have a great future ahead and we will make waves in the international circuit," he concluded. 

With a smarter approach and a hunger to reclaim his spot among the world’s best, ‘Sathiyan 2.0’ is ready for his next big challenge, returning to the top-25 and beyond.