<\/p>\n
At 6-foot-4, Ayush Shetty cuts an imposing figure on the badminton court. His lean frame, steep jump smashes, and improved court coverage have caught attention of the world. Many have begun noting the resemblance to Denmark\u2019s towering Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The comparisons, of course, stop at the surface. While Axelsen has already conquered the sport, Ayush is just beginning to find his footing on the senior circuit. But there\u2019s no mistaking it: the 20-year-old from Mangalore is rising, and rising fast.<\/p>\n
The first big marker came at the US Open Super 300 in Iowa this June. In the semi-finals, Shetty faced off against World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a gripping three-game encounter. At one point, a 39-shot rally showed just how far Ayush has come: from being known for his aggressive attacking play to now demonstrating resilience, composed play from the back of the court, and mature shot selection. His hustle, including a beyond-believable flick from the back of the court while being off balance, earned him a sensational point and, eventually, a statement win.<\/p>\n
In the final on Sunday, he beat Canada\u2019s Brian Yang to claim his maiden senior international title, making him the first Indian to win a BWF Tour title<\/strong> in 2025.<\/p>\n It was a breakthrough week for the 20-year-old, who has shown more than once this year that he has the ability to battle with the best at the highest level.<\/p>\n \u201cAyush is from Mangalore, from a middle-class family,\u201d recalls Vimal Kumar, former coach and one of the founders of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, where Ayush now trains.<\/p>\n \u201cHe moved to Bangalore about seven or eight years ago, when he was still an early teenager. Initially, he was training under Krishna Kumar at I-Sports \u2014 a very good feeder in Karnataka. We have an understanding with I-Sports \u2014 when players are good, they come and train here because we have better facilities. That\u2019s how Ayush came to our academy about five years back.\u201d<\/p>\n I-Sports and krishna Kumar got it spot on once again. At PPBA, Ayush thrived. After beginning his badminton journey at the age of eight, inspired by his father, Ayush\u2019s training and intensity sharpened. In 2023, he won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA \u2014 only the sixth Indian to do so in men\u2019s singles.<\/p>\n \u201cAyush was a junior champion and a couple of years ago, he got that World Junior bronze. This year, I feel he’s done well on the world stage \u2014 at the Orleans Masters, Chinese Taipei… He has beaten players like Loh Kean Yew, Rasmus Gemke and Kidambi Srikanth. That\u2019s a good indication,\u201d says Vimal.<\/p>\n A lot of Ayush\u2019s improvement has come through intentional exposure to world-class training.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, before the Olympics, we took him for a three-week training programme in Marseille with Lakshya Sen,\u201d Vimal says.<\/p>\n “He trained with the Popov brothers \u2014 Toma and Christo \u2014 and that gave him a lot of confidence. Prior to that, we also sent him to Dubai to train with Viktor Axelsen when Viktor was based there. Viktor was quite impressed. He said, \u2018Ayush reminds me of my younger days\u2019, because both are tall, Ayush is 6’4”, just like Viktor.\u201d<\/p>\n With that physical presence comes a unique challenge, and a massive opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a tall player, Ayush did face challenges,\u201d admits Vimal. \u201cEarlier, he was vulnerable defensively, especially when opponents attacked his body or played parallel shots. But this year, he’s worked a lot on his defence and improved. He’s bridged those areas. He\u2019s got a good badminton brain.\u201d<\/p>\n That \u201cbadminton brain\u201d has become one of Ayush\u2019s defining assets, helping him adapt, mix his game, and not rely only on his power. Against Chou Tien Chen in Iowa, it was clear he could stay in the rallies and not just try to blow opponents off the court.<\/p>\n \u201cIn singles, the net game and defence are vital. He used to only play at the net and try to hit his way out, but players were reading him. Now, he\u2019s playing long rallies, lifting to the back, mixing it up. That\u2019s important. His smashes are still some of the hardest on the circuit \u2014 and if he finds more consistency with his angles, like Viktor, he\u2019ll be very hard to beat.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, there are a lot of areas to improve. Afterall, Ayush is just beginning to get a feel of what it is to battle against and beat the best.<\/p>\n \u201cHis core strength and leg stability need work because he\u2019s lanky,\u201d Vimal explains. \u201cSometimes he hits a bit wild, but with more matches, he\u2019ll refine that.\u201d<\/p>\n In a bold move, Ayush\u2019s team sent him to the North American leg of the season, including the US Open and Canada Open, without a coach or support staff.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was a deliberate call,\u201d Vimal confirmed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted him to take more responsibility and see how he copes. These days, players have personal coaches and trainers \u2014 but this was a good test. We\u2019re quite happy he\u2019s managing on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n That independence is showing. After cracking the world\u2019s top 35, Ayush now has a target: break into the top 25 to consistently play Super 500, 750, and 1000-level tournaments.<\/p>\n At the Padukone Academy, Ayush trains alongside Kiran George and others under the watchful eye of coach Sagar Chopda.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been good progress,\u201d Vimal says. \u201cI was especially pleased with the match he played against Chou Tien Chen \u2014 he lost the first narrowly, but came back really well. That shows good temperament. It\u2019s not easy to beat a player like Chou.\u201d<\/p>\n The Indian men\u2019s singles scene is stacked with talent \u2014 Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat \u2014 but Vimal believes it\u2019s players like Ayush who now must push through.<\/p>\n \u201cAt 19-20, you have to do that \u2014 like Lakshya did a couple of years ago. We have players stuck in the 30s (ranking), and I hope they come out of that. These four \u2014 Ayush, Lakshya, Kiran, Priyanshu \u2014 can take over from the current generation.\u201d<\/p>\n The camaraderie among them is strong. \u201cYes, they stay in touch. Today also we exchanged messages after watching his match last night. We told him not to celebrate too much \u2014 there are still five matches to go in Canada!\u201d Vimal said.<\/p>\n The US Open title has marked him as India\u2019s next big hope. The Viktor Axelsen references may keep surfacing \u2014 but Ayush isn\u2019t chasing them. His real challenge begins now: building the mental resilience to block out the noise, the consistency to deliver week after week, and the hunger to keep evolving.<\/p>\n Fortunately, he\u2019s not doing it alone. With a strong support system and a sharp group of peers around him, Ayush has all the tools to build on the spark that he has showed over the last couple of years.<\/p>\n As Vimal Kumar puts it: \u201cHe\u2019s slowly maturing. I\u2019m happy that at 20, he\u2019s won his first tournament and beaten good players. If he finds consistency, I am sure he will win a lot more medals for the country.\u201d<\/p>\n – Ends<\/p>\nIMPRESSING VIKTOR AXELSEN<\/h3>\n
A GOOD BADMINTON BRAIN<\/h3>\n
LEARNING TO FLY SOLO<\/h3>\n
IN GOOD COMPANY<\/h3>\n