Seventeen years ago, when the Badminton World Championships were last held in India for the first time, Ayush Shetty was four years old. He did not know of the sport called badminton back then. When the boy from Sanoor near Mangalore entered the scene four years later, “my parents know almost at that moment that I was destined for this journey,” revealed Ayush days before his World Championship debut in New Delhi. Now, at 21, Shetty is preparing to walk onto the biggest stage of his young career, and perhaps face the most difficult opponent in his opening game, Shi Yu Qi, the top seed and reigning world champion.
The draw was made with Shetty unseeded, leaving him open to a first-round meeting with any of the tournament’s leading players. He watched it happen live.
“Yeah, I was watching it live and as soon as I got Shi Yuqi, I told myself that I was ready to face anyone. As I was unseeded, I was prepared to even play the world number one.”
He confirmed that there was no great reaction.
“So yeah, I think I didn’t give much of a reaction. I just thought that it’s just another match, but I am aware that it’ll be a really tough battle.”
Shetty and Shi have already played three times. Shi Yuqi leads their head-to-head record 3-0. The most recent meeting came in the final of the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships, where Shi won in straight games. That match, more than the result itself, has given this first-round encounter its shape.
Shetty can clearly visualise having experienced the pace, the pressure and the tactical demands of playing one of the best men’s singles players in the world. He also knows that the version of himself walking onto court now is not the same player who walked into the Asia Championships final.
“I remember my match against him in the Asia Championship final. I think he was really prepared. But I think I’ve gotten better and I’ve been analysing my match and I think we’ll be better prepared this time.”
The lessons have been specific. When Shetty first entered the senior circuit, the hardest adjustment was pace. Playing against top-20 opponents meant trying to stay with rallies that moved faster than anything he had experienced as a junior.
“But I think now, I’ve adapted to it. I think I can push them, play at their pace. I think I’m more confident now.”
The 21 year old describes Shi as a player who operates at a very high pace, with exceptional variation from the backcourt and one of the best drops in men’s singles. There is also a different dimension to playing him – the mental battle.
“And also, like you said, the mental aspect, I think you really have to work hard playing against him.”
The irony is that away from competition, the two are friends.
On court, Shetty says, Shi is “a bit cheeky”. He doesn’t give his opponent much space.
“But I think off-court, he’s a really good friend of mine. But yeah, it’s not really nice when I’m playing against him.”
His run to silver at the Asian Championships was an important marker. So were his performances at the World Junior Championships and the Thomas Cup, where he has also medalled.
What makes this occasion special is that this is Shetty’s debut in front of the home crowd. So how will be pitch it to non-badminton fans
“I will tell everyone that this is an opportunity for Indian badminton to grow and I shall expect large crowds because this is the biggest event of the year in the Capital “
Shetty has received high praise from the likes of PV Sindhu and Viktor Axelsen. He even trains with Sindhu and dips into her wisdom from time to time.
Over the past few months, there has been another visible change in Shetty’s game. His body language is more expressive, more aggressive, more willing to show emotion on court.
For Shetty, the first-round match against the top seed won’t be just another match. It will be a measure of how far he has travelled since entering the senior circuit. Three previous defeats have given him a reference point. The Asia Championships final showed him what happens when he cannot match Shi tactically. The months since have been spent trying to close that gap.
So when the tournament opens in the Capital in a week’s time, the first player standing between him and the next stage would be the reigning world champion.
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