Suraj Kumar Chand Interview
Q. What's the story behind how you started playing?
I started playing squash at the age of 11 after watching my friends play. I found squash to be quite different from other racquet sports, and I found it really interesting and exciting.
After playing for around 3–4 years, I won my first tournament, which was a local tournament in Mumbai. It felt really special to win my first tournament, and it gave me a lot of motivation and confidence to continue playing and work harder.
Q. That final against Takacs went the full five games on home soil in Mumbai. In a moment like that, where one point either way decides everything, what's going through your head?
Going into the final, there was only one thing on my mind: I had to win this match, no matter what, for my country and for all the people who had come to support me.
I had studied Benedek’s previous matches and prepared a clear game plan for how I wanted to play the final. Luckily, everything worked out.
Q. Rankings can look steady from the outside, but the actual season is a lot of ups and downs. What did that rhythm feel like for you this year?
Honestly, this year has been quite challenging because my world ranking had been stuck around 120–130 for a long time.
My first goal was to break into the World Top 100, and winning the World University Championship, along with a few good results in other tournaments, helped me achieve that goal and break into the Top 100.
Q. Some of your matches this year have gone past an hour. What does your body feel like by the third or fourth game, and how much of winning late is physical versus mental at that point?
I feel I’ve played quite a few matches that have gone beyond an hour, and I’ve trained accordingly because I knew that matches at this level can be extremely tough.
I feel that by the fourth and fifth games, the match becomes very physical, but at the same time, it becomes a mental battle as well, where I have to stay focused and make sure I don’t give up.
Q. With over 30 events behind you now, what are some of the challenges you've faced along the way, and what has kept you going despite them?
There have been quite a few challenges. In tournaments, you have to face different styles of players in every round, so you have to prepare yourself accordingly. After playing a tough match, you then have to be ready to compete again the next day while also focusing on recovery.
One important thing that has kept me going despite all the challenges is that I’ve never taken a loss in a negative way. I’ve always tried to learn something from every defeat, understand what I could have done better, and use it to improve myself for the next match.
Q. What's changed in you, as a player, between that bronze in Johannesburg and this gold in Mumbai?
I think I’ve changed a lot as a player. The bronze in Johannesburg gave me a lot of confidence, but since then I’ve gained a lot more experience playing at this level and against different styles of players.
I have also become much better at staying calm and playing under pressure. Earlier I used to focus much on the result, but now I focus more on the process and what I need to do on court.
Q. What does a typical week with your coach look like, away from tournaments?
A typical week for me looks very simple. I train 5–6 days a week, which includes fitness sessions, on-court sessions with my coach, and also some sparring with other players at the academy.
Q. Was there someone who believed in this before you fully did yourself?
My parents always believed in me since the day I told them I want to choose sports as a career and become a professional squash player. They always supported me and helped me with everything I needed.
Bio
Suraj Kumar Chandra is a professional squash player representing India, currently ranked World No. 98 and India No. 5. He trains at the Jindal Squash Academy under the guidance of coaches Deepak Mishra and Laxman Joshi. Suraj took up squash at the age of 11, and his journey has been shaped by consistency, hard work, and self-belief. In 2026, he clinched the men's singles title at the FISU World University Championship, defeating Hungary's Benedek Takacs in a hard-fought five-game final, a historic win that marked India's first-ever gold medal at the event.
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