Ayush Shetty upsets world No. 1 Shi Yuqi at BWF World Championships

At the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi, 21-year-old Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty secured a major upset by defeating defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China. Shetty won the men’s singles first-round match in three games with a score of 21-14, 13-21, 21-19. This victory avenges a previous loss to Shi at the Badminton Asia Championships and advances Shetty to the Round of 32, where he is scheduled to face Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan.

The Indian contingent saw several other successful starts. PV Sindhu advanced comfortably in the women’s singles, while Lakshya Sen secured a comeback victory against Austria’s Collins Valentine Filimon (16-21, 21-8, 21-4). Other Indian successes included victories from Unnati Hooda and the women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.

International players also progressed through the early rounds. China’s Chen Yufei and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi reached the women’s singles second round, while Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie also moved forward in the men’s singles. The tournament continues at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium with high expectations for the host nation.