Who is Ayush Shetty? Meet the 21-Year-Old Indian Shuttler Who Stunned Defending Champion Shi Yuqi

Indian badminton player Ayush Shetty beat World No 1 Shi Yuqi in the opening round of the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi. The 21 year old unseeded player won the match 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in 73 minutes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. 

Shetty at 6 feet 5 inches used his height and strong smashes as an advantage to beat the defending champion. This win marks his first win over the Chinese player who is also a defending BWF champion after three previous losses at the championship. 

Read more about the promising Indian badminton player Ayush Shetty biography hereonwards as the BWF tournament reaches its climax. 

How Ayush Shetty Beat World No.1 Shi Yuqi at 2026 BWF? 

Shetty took control early in the first game. He led 11-5 at the mid game break by hitting sharp smashes to the corners and taking the game 21-14.

Shi came back in the second game using soft drop shots to win 21-13 and tie the match. In the final game Shetty built a big 17-6 lead. 

Shi fought back to make it 20-19 but Shetty scored the last point with an overhead smash to win his 2026 BWF match and move into the next round against Dumindu Abeywickrama of Sri Lanka.

Ayush Shetty 🇮🇳 puts defending champion Shi Yu Qi 🇨🇳 to the test.#BWFWorldChampionships #NewDelhi2026 pic.twitter.com/ttifOXP2om

— BWF (@bwfmedia) August 17, 2026

Who is Ayush Shetty? 

Ayush was born on May 3rd 2005 in Sanoor which is a small town near Karkala in Karnataka. He started playing badminton at age eight in his backyard with his father Kiran Shetty.

His family noticed his talent at an early stage and they moved to Bengaluru so he could get better coaching and play in bigger tournaments.

Ayush Shetty Career Records and Rise in Men’s Singles

Shetty began training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru under former national coach Vimal Kumar. And he achieved his career milestone in the following years: 

• 2021: Won his first international junior title at the Denmark Junior International.

• 2023: Won a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Championships in the United States.

• 2025: Won his first big senior title at the US Open by beating Canada's Brian Yang in the final.

• 2026: Became the first Indian man in 61 years to reach the final of the Badminton Asia Championships and taking home the silver medal.

What Makes Shetty’s Game Different?

Shetty’s height gives him an advantage on the badminton court. His jump smash comes down at a steep angle which makes it hard for opponents to defend. His long arms and legs also help him cover the court faster and control points at the net without moving as much as shorter players.