Who is Ayush Shetty, the Indian who beat World No. 1 at Badminton Asia Championships 2026
Indian youngster Ayush Shetty continued to make a mark on the global scale as he beat World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn to enter the Badminton Asia Championships final in Ningbo, China, on Saturday.
The 20-year-old stunned World No. 4 Jonathan Christie to secure a medal, which will be India’s first at the Badminton Asia Championships since Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s men’s doubles gold in 2023.
Who is Ayush Shetty?
Ayush, who hails from Karnataka, made headlines in 2023 when he won the bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Championships.
Training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru, his reflexes and movement have prompted many to call him the next big thing in Indian badminton.
Last year, he won his first major title, the US Open title, beating Brian Yang 21-18, 21-13 in the final, becoming the first Indian to win a BWF World Tour title in 2025.
“Ayush’s initial target was to be a top-25 player by the end of the year. With this kind of performance, this is definitely within his reach. In the long term, Ayush is a world top-10 player for sure. He has a very bright future,” Sagar Chopda, PPBA head coach, had earlier told Sportstar.
How has Ayush Shetty performed at the Badminton Asia Championships?
At the Asia Championships, Ayush opened his campaign with a stunning win over World No. 7 Li Shi Feng before beating Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei to qualify for the quarterfinals.
In the quarters, the Indian youngsters pulled off another upset, beating World No. 4 Jonathan Christie to enter the final four.
Ayush’s results at Badminton Asia Championships:
- Ayush Shetty — 21-13, 21-16 — Li Shi Feng — Round of 32
- Ayush Shetty — 21-16, 21-12 — Chi Yu Jen — Round of 16
- Ayush Shetty — 23-21, 21-17 — Jonatan Christie — Quarterfinals
- Ayush Shetty — 10-21, 21-19, 21, 17 — Kunlavut Vitidsarn — Semifinal
Published on Apr 11, 2026