Chirag Duhan Aims For Top-100 Finish In 2025 After M25 Semifinal

Chirag Duhan recently showcased impressive tennis skills at the SM Krishna Memorial Open in Bengaluru, reaching his first M25 semifinal. The 21-year-old was the only Indian to make it to the semifinals, where he faced a tough match against top seed Jay Clarke.

Despite initial uncertainty about participating due to consecutive tournaments, Chirag decided to compete. "I was thinking of pulling out and going back to training for a few weeks. But as the tournament neared, I felt I could do one more week and then leave. I don't know what could have happened if I hadn't come to Bengaluru, but I'm happy that I reached my first M25 semifinal in India," he expressed.

Chirag splits his training between New Delhi with coach Gaurav Sharma and the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France. Founded by Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams' former coach, the academy attracts top players worldwide. "It's a great atmosphere to be in because you get to see a lot of pros training alongside you," Chirag noted.

The young player has had opportunities to practice with World Number 23 Alexei Popyrin at the academy. "He's a very nice guy and gave me a lot of insights into my game, which has been helpful to me," Chirag shared.

Chirag's journey in Bengaluru included defeating eighth seed Dominik Palan in the opening round and making an impressive comeback against Abhinav Sanjeev Shanmugam after losing the first set. He then advanced past Ishaque Eqbal in straight sets during the quarterfinals.

"There were some ups and downs through the tournament. I was playing a seeded player in the first round only, so I didn't look deeper into the draw. I was just focusing on one match at a time," Chirag explained about his approach.

Learning from Legends

Chirag admires tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. He also had the chance to play with former World Number 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas. "I'm a keen person who likes to learn. So, to be there and see these top players from close quarters is amazing," he said.

The Indian player began his tennis journey unexpectedly but has shown significant potential, achieving a career-high ATP ranking of 531. "I'm more of a person who doesn't usually look too much into the rankings and likes to learn something every day," Chirag mentioned.

Future Goals

Looking ahead, Chirag aims for a top-100 finish by year-end. "My year-end goal is to finish inside the top 100. The sooner I can achieve that, the better," he stated while emphasizing taking things step by step.