Ramit Tandon strives to remain balanced between the ebbs and flows of one of the most gruelling of racquet sports. Navigating through the waxing and waning cycles of victory and defeat, the 33-year-old has chosen to adopt a pragmatic approach while also giving it his all for the game he loves. Ahead of the second edition of the JSW Indian Open, the 2018 Asian Games bronze medalist is keen to brush off a first-round upset in the inaugural season.
The opportunity to play a Copper-circuit tournament in India is one that Ramit Tandon is keen to make the most of, more so for the joy of performing at home in front of those who have supported his squash journey.
In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda, Ramit Tandon shed light on the resounding success of the opening edition of the Indian Open, his process-oriented approach, and what India needs to do to garner world recognition in squash.
Dwelling at length on losses, however painful, isn’t “a luxury” Ramit can afford.
Despite taking the first two games comfortably, the top seed crashed to an opening-round defeat against Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran, 11-5, 11-1, 6-11, 4-11, 6-11 at the Indian Open last year. While the shattering home defeat did hurt, the stalwart analysed the result with his team before moving on.
“Obviously, home tournaments hurt a lot more. Having said that, obviously, every loss is a lesson. As an athlete, you look back, and you reflect on it. As you mentioned, the scoreline, winning easily to losing easily, obviously, there was a big mental switch. When I sat back with my team, we analysed what could have gone wrong,” Ramit Tandon recalled.
“But the week after, I was competing in Egypt. As an athlete, you cannot sit on it for too long. You could probably have one sleepless night, but not more than that, because we don’t have the luxury to dwell on it for too long, and you’ve got to pick yourself back up. Otherwise, you’re going to be affected in the upcoming events,” were the words of wisdom from the seasoned campaigner.
Getting “immune” to winning and losing while focusing solely on the process is what Ramit aims for, amid the on-court miracles and the disasters.
“You get immune to the winning and losing. And what we strive for is the process. As long as I know I tried my best, and my preparation was good, and I gave it my all, certain days, things are going to work for you. There are going to be miracles in sport. There are also going to be disasters in sport, as I went through at the JSW Indian Open last year,” Ramit Tandon asserted.
Playing on a glass court on the Copper circuit and experiencing Indian hospitality amazed some of the foreign players who took part in the JSW Indian Open last year.
“In terms of how the tournament was held, I’m going to be biased because it was my home event and I’m going to say great things about it. Also, nothing beats Indian hospitality. You can travel to the US and you can travel to the UK, but the hospitality that India provides is up there, like one of the best in the world,” Ramit Tandon observed.
“So, most of the foreign players who did come to the event were amazed by the structure of the event. We are probably the only Copper in the world that puts up a glass court, and JSW is doing that. So, for the players playing the Copper circuit, for them to come in and have an outdoor glass court is extremely special,” he pointed out.
The joy of playing at home is uppermost in Ramit Tandon’s mind ahead of the Indian Open. Expressing himself on a squash court in front of his countrymen is what excites the third seed the most.
“There are not many international events of this magnitude happening in my country. So I’m looking forward to enjoying being home, meeting the people who have supported my journey and those who are going to come out there and watch the matches. Obviously, as an athlete, you want to give your best,” Ramit asserted.
“So that obviously is a given. But apart from that, I’m excited since I will get to express myself on the squash court in my own country,” he added.
Earlier this season, Ramit Tandon made it to the quarterfinals at the DR21 Motor City Open 2026 in Detroit in January, beating former champion and third seed Mohamed Abouelghar. He missed out on playing in Houston and will be competing at the Indian Open after a short break.
“I’m positive about the start I’ve had in 2026. I’m confident that the work and the changes we made are actually working in a positive direction for us. I was supposed to play another tournament in Houston after the one in Detroit, but I fell sick. So I’ve been out of competition since the Motor City Open, but it’s given me a good block of training, looking forward to the Indian Open,” Ramit disclosed.
Passionate as ever about the growth of squash in India, Ramit Tandon shared insights into what Indian players need to do to gain world acclaim, while also explaining the factors behind Egypt’s dominance in the sport.
Concerning the progress made by his Indian compatriots, Ramit hailed the rise of Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh on the world stage but was candid enough to admit that more work needs to be done in terms of playing in the PSA Platinum circuit.
“We are known to be a very solid squash-playing country. But there’s still work to be done to crack the top 8, the top 4, the top 2. In our sport, when you talk about people garnering recognition and people being talked about, obviously, at the big events, the world number one’s and the two’s are the ones garnering most of the attention,” he affirmed.
“Anahat Singh has had a phenomenal 2026. She’s climbed up the rankings (current World No. 20) and she’s pushing some of the top guys. Abhay Singh, too, has made a breakthrough. India is at its very best today in terms of the depth we have,” Ramit Tandon declared.
While lauding India’s success at the WSF Squash World Cup, Ramit indicated that despite Egypt’s presence in the exhibition event in Chennai, a lot of the top players were not taking part.
As a keen observer of the sport, Ramit Tandon pointed to the reasons that make Egypt such a powerhouse in squash, stressing the sheer numbers that add to the talent pool.
“Every club has 30, 40, 50 courts in Egypt. They have more than 100 kids playing. Like in India, if you have 10 kids playing, Egypt would have 100. And then the chances of picking out talent from 100 is a lot higher than picking out talent from a subset of 10. That’s one side of things,” he elucidated.
The finance professional in Ramit Tandon then came to the fore as he attempted to zero in on the circumstances that help Egyptians take to a sport like squash in a big way.
“I also think it’s a little financially driven. If you look at their banking system, if you’re earning in dollars, I think the fixed deposit is up to 15 or 20 per cent if you’re storing US dollars in your account. So, having said that, I think from an economic perspective, being a squash player is actually like you’re kind of in the higher bracket in terms of financial well-being,” he opined.
“So as a kid, parents encourage you to pursue the sport. That’s my take, having understood Egyptian society and the financial system in Egypt. You know, if you make it, you’ve made it in life,” Ramit Tandon stressed.
Ramit Tandon also has his sights set on the Squash Wimbledon (Optasia Championships 2026), which is right after the Indian Open and will be followed by the biggest tournament of all – the PSA World Championships in May.
For now, though, the suave yet earthy Kolkata-born Columbia University graduate would like nothing better than to bask in the glory of a home win. The JSW Indian Open begins in Mumbai on March 18.
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