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India Today
a day ago
- Sport
- India Today
Tall, fierce and focused: Ayush Shetty reminds Viktor Axelsen of his younger self
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's 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's no mistaking it: the 20-year-old from Mangalore is rising, and rising 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 action sees Chou Tien Chen and Ayush Shetty go the distance.#BWFWorldTour #USOpen2025 BWF (@bwfmedia) June 29, 2025In the final on Sunday, he beat Canada's Brian Yang to claim his maiden senior international title, making him the first Indian to win a BWF Tour title in 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.'Ayush is from Mangalore, from a middle-class family,' recalls Vimal Kumar, former coach and one of the founders of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, where Ayush now trains.'He 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 — a very good feeder in Karnataka. We have an understanding with I-Sports — when players are good, they come and train here because we have better facilities. That's how Ayush came to our academy about five years back.'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's training and intensity sharpened. In 2023, he won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA — only the sixth Indian to do so in men's singles.'Ayush 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 — at the Orleans Masters, Chinese Taipei... He has beaten players like Loh Kean Yew, Rasmus Gemke and Kidambi Srikanth. That's a good indication,' says VIKTOR AXELSENadvertisementA lot of Ayush's improvement has come through intentional exposure to world-class training.'Last year, before the Olympics, we took him for a three-week training programme in Marseille with Lakshya Sen,' Vimal says."He trained with the Popov brothers — Toma and Christo — 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, 'Ayush reminds me of my younger days', because both are tall, Ayush is 6'4", just like Viktor.'With that physical presence comes a unique challenge, and a massive opportunity.A GOOD BADMINTON BRAIN'As a tall player, Ayush did face challenges,' admits Vimal. 'Earlier, 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's got a good badminton brain.'That 'badminton brain' has become one of Ayush's 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 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's playing long rallies, lifting to the back, mixing it up. That's important. His smashes are still some of the hardest on the circuit — and if he finds more consistency with his angles, like Viktor, he'll be very hard to beat.'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.'His core strength and leg stability need work because he's lanky,' Vimal explains. 'Sometimes he hits a bit wild, but with more matches, he'll refine that.'LEARNING TO FLY SOLOIn a bold move, Ayush's team sent him to the North American leg of the season, including the US Open and Canada Open, without a coach or support it was a deliberate call,' Vimal confirmed.'We wanted him to take more responsibility and see how he copes. These days, players have personal coaches and trainers — but this was a good test. We're quite happy he's managing on his own.'That independence is showing. After cracking the world's top 35, Ayush now has a target: break into the top 25 to consistently play Super 500, 750, and 1000-level GOOD COMPANYAt the Padukone Academy, Ayush trains alongside Kiran George and others under the watchful eye of coach Sagar Chopda.'There's been good progress,' Vimal says. 'I was especially pleased with the match he played against Chou Tien Chen — he lost the first narrowly, but came back really well. That shows good temperament. It's not easy to beat a player like Chou.'The Indian men's singles scene is stacked with talent — Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat — but Vimal believes it's players like Ayush who now must push through.'At 19-20, you have to do that — 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 — Ayush, Lakshya, Kiran, Priyanshu — can take over from the current generation.'advertisementThe camaraderie among them is strong. 'Yes, they stay in touch. Today also we exchanged messages after watching his match last night. We told him not to celebrate too much — there are still five matches to go in Canada!' Vimal US Open title has marked him as India's next big hope. The Viktor Axelsen references may keep surfacing — but Ayush isn't 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 he's 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 Vimal Kumar puts it: 'He's slowly maturing. I'm happy that at 20, he's 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.'- Ends
Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Badminton: Ayush Shetty interview – ‘Practising with Viktor Axelsen, I realised it wasn't just about attack, he has a great defense'
Ayush Shetty's US Open victory – after a lean patch for Indian men's singles on the BWF World Tour – could be the start of some surprising results. Shetty, and Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, bring the power game to badminton courts, to go alongside Lakshya Sen, Priyanshu Rajawat, Kiran George and Tharun Mannepalli. But it was a cause of personal glee for Shetty as he won the Super 300 title in Iowa, because curiously, he had never won a seniors title even domestically. The 20-year-old 6-foot-4 talks about the title victory in USA, and how his big game developed in the tall canopy of sparring alongside Viktor Axelsen and under watchful coaching eyes in Bengaluru. What is the significance of the US Open Super 300 title? Ayush Shetty: It makes me really happy because not only is it my first title on the World Tour. It's my first title-ever in seniors. I've never won anything before, even nationally. I had lost in semis in tournaments three times, and losing to Chou Tien Chen was the toughest to handle at Taipei Open. Beating him (World No 6) in the semis here (at Iowa's Council Bluffs) felt good. You led 19-14 in the opener against Chou in semis and lost the first set from there (before winning 21-23, 21-15, 21-14). How, and why? Ayush Shetty: First game, I had a very good lead of 5 points, so losing from there was very tough. He had the momentum. I just told myself, 'hang in there.' After pulling back the second, I gained in confidence. I have previously lost matches after losing leads because it makes a huge difference in how you see the match. But this time I was just too focused, so next set was easy. It wasn't an easy path to final. Against Magnus (Johannessen) in the first match, I hadn't adapted completely to conditions and made many unforced errors. I somehow pulled it off. Against former junior world champion Kuo Kuan Lin, again I was down 18-20 but managed to win (22-20, 21-9). Is it tougher playing against compatriots like Tharun Mannepalli (in Round 2)? (Shetty is 2-1 vs Kidambi Srikanth, 2-0 vs Tharun, 1-0 vs Sankar Muthusamy Subramaniam, but 0-4 against fellow tall shuttler Sathish Karunakaran) Ayush Shetty: Playing Indians can be very tricky. Especially Tharun is in good form now. It was very windy on court against him that day, and one side was hard to manage. He was defending well. But I'd played him twice recently, so I was confident. I varied my attack with drops and half smashes, and was very happy with how I opened up the game in the second. Talk about your signature crosscourt smash that booms down from 6 feet 4 height. Ayush Shetty: That cross-court smash is easily my favourite stroke, and it came naturally to me. But earlier, I used to use it very often, like for every second stroke. I've learnt to use it wisely now, only on crucial points. (It showed up at 18-18 in a close first set and later on championship point). What's cool about being this tall? And what's not all that cool? Ayush Shetty: The good thing about being 6'4″ is definitely that everyone else thinks it's an advantage (laughs). But there are disadvantages also. You are slower than others and have to be strong on your legs. Front-court movements are especially difficult, though from the back court, hitting strokes is an advantage. How did your strong net game develop? Ayush Shetty: My dribble was always good on the net. But I used to pick shuttles very low earlier. In the last one year training at PPBA, the biggest improvement is that I'm catching the shuttle high and striking early at the net. Your game is often compared to Viktor Axelsen's (he too is 6'4″) and you have also trained with him. What did you learn most from him? Ayush Shetty: When I practiced with him, initially I always thought he is a great player because of his attack. But watching him I realised he also has a great defense and that was when I started working hard on my defense. Because you need excellent defense, just attack doesn't help. Did you grow up idolising him or Lin Dan or anyone else? Ayush Shetty: I was a huge fan of Lee Chong Wei always. He was just too fast and had a great attack. I think Lee Zii Jia has the best backhand currently. Though my whipped backhand is natural, I do try to play a little like him. But reaching that level is still far away. I have always wanted to beat Chou Tien Chen, and after finally beating him, it was very nice of him to say 'Good job' to me. What's the goal for 2025 and long term? Ayush Shetty: To break into Top 20 or 25 in 2025. But my biggest dream is to win the All England. I've never been there but I've imagined it often. Olympics, of course, is everyone's dream. How has the support from the family been? Ayush Shetty: I come from Mangalore and I can't put my family's support into words. My Dad has had to stay alone which was tough while my mother and sister moved to Bengaluru with me because I had to train here. Even back then we had to travel 60 km by train. The early years were challenging but we didn't know much about the international circuit, so I didn't feel I was missing out on anything because all my focus was on All India events. Thinking about internationals was out of the question. What do you miss about Mangalore? Ayush Shetty: Family. Friends. And neer dosa with chicken. When I'm not playing I like to talk to my friends and spend time with them.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Shuttler Ayush Shetty clinches US Open Super 300 title
**EDS: THIRD PARTY IMAGE** In this image via Badminton Photo, India's Ayush Shetty returns to Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen during the men's singles semi-final match at the US Open 2025 badminton tournament, in Iowa, USA. (Badminton Photo/Yves Lacroix via PTI Photo)(PTI06_29_2025_000029A) Bengaluru: Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty was on cloud nine after securing the US Open Super 300 title in Iowa, USA, on Sunday. Almost 8,500km away in India, it was nearly 3 am on Monday when the Karnataka player, who had just won his maiden BWF title, dialled his father Ramprakash Shetty who was patiently waiting for the call from his son. The victory was a big one not only for the Shetty's, but a much-needed title for India whose top shuttlers have been in poor form this year. At a time when stars like PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy have struggled, Ayush has given new hope to Indian fans. It was the first international singles title won by an Indian this year. In the process, Ayush, a bronze medallist in the 2023 World junior championships, has announced his arrival on the big stage. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! His 21-18, 21-13 win over Canada's Brian Yang in the final might look straightforward, but it was a case of grit and persistence during the 47minute clash. Ayush, a product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) here, even brushed off a cut on his right knee after a fall in the opening game. Despite some bleeding — he dismissed it as 'nothing major, just a scratch' — the 20-year-old Indian kept his focus and found the way to his first senior title. 'This title means a lot, feels great to win my first one. I hope to deliver this form in the remainder of the season and grab more titles. This will act as a confidence booster for me,' Ayush told TOI before boarding the flight to Canada, where he will be back in action on Tuesday. Ayush, who is an attacking player with a solid net game, found it tough to begin with as his ploy did not help him score points in the early exchanges. There was a serious need for him to outthink Yang's strong defence. With the first game going neck-and-neck for the first 12 points, Ayush tweaked it a little, using his half smashes and drops to take a 13-7 lead and eventually won the game. The 6' 4' player carried on the momentum into the second game to grab a 7-2 lead. He then powered his way to the title despite Yang attempting a comeback midway into the second game. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Ayush Shetty wins US Open for India's first title of 2025
NEW DELHI: Ayush Shetty has been able to achieve what no other Indian shuttler has managed so far — win a BWF World Tour title in 2025. PV Sindhu has been far from winning one. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty only managed to reach the semis. Former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth came the closest when he made the Malaysia Masters final in May. (Yves Lacroix/Badmintonphoto) The deadlock ended when the 20-year-old Shetty stood on the top step of the podium in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Sunday after winning the $240,000 US Open men's singles crown. The second highest ranked Indian shuttler after Lakshya Sen (world No.20), the world No.34 took just 47 minutes to beat third seed Brian Yang 21-18, 21-13 in the final which earned him his third straight victory over the Canadian and the first title of his young senior career. 'He has been showing progress this year. If you look at his performances at the Orleans Masters and Taipei Open (he reached both the semis), he did well. In fact, he has beaten some top-level players like (former world champion) Low Kean Yew and Rasmus Gemke. He has been hitting some good form against top players,' Shetty's coach U Vimal Kumar told HT from Bengaluru. 'But at the US Open, beating (world No.6) Chou Tien Chen, especially in the semi-finals, was very creditable. He could have won in two games because he was up 19-14 in the first game. From there, he lost 23-21. He came back well where I really liked the way he attacked.' Playing in the USA has proved lucky for the lanky Shetty. It was in the US two years back that Shetty first made the headlines when he clinched bronze at the 2023 World Junior Championships. He also made the finals of the Odisha Masters and Bahrain International (both in 2023). Last year, having fully made his move to the senior level, Shetty decided to take part in only lower tier events, making the quarter-finals and semi-finals regularly, and eventually the final at the 2024 Dutch Open. But this year Shetty started playing higher tier events on the BWF World Tour, having the belief of not just challenging but also surprising some of the higher ranked players. 'He is 6'4'. So, he has very, very steep smashes. That unsettles many players. That is one of his strengths. He is also quite good at the net. His defence has improved in the last three or four months as he has consciously been working on it,' added Vimal, who is also a national selector. 'He has really shown some good improvement. I am quite pleased with the way he is playing now. He is making a mark with the title at the world stage. I am quite happy for him.' A product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru, Shetty trains with Sen, Kiran George and Manraj Singh, among others. After clinching the Super 300 title, he will next take part in this week's $240,000 Canada Open in Markham, also a Super 300 event, where he is seeded fifth and faces compatriot S Sankar Muthusamy in the opener. 'I told him that it is not finished, that he has to try and win the Canada Open too, asking him to remain focused. He has got five more matches to go. I hope he can continue to perform well in the next event as well. The target we have given him is to come into the top 25 by the end of the year,' added Vimal. Tanvi loses in final It was end of the road for 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who delivered standout performances the entire week before losing in the women's singles final to top seed and local favourite Beiwen Zhang. India's world No.66 lost 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in 46 minutes, ending a run that featured some fearless performances as she beat players ranked Nos.23, 40, 50 and 58 en route to the final.
Canada Standard
2 days ago
- Sport
- Canada Standard
Ayush Shetty clinches US Open title; Tanvi Sharma makes history with final finish
Iowa [US], June 30 (ANI): India's second-highest ranked Men's Singles player Ayush Shetty secured his first BWF World Tour title with a dominant win at the US Open 2025, defeating third seed Brian Yang of Canada 21-18, 21-13 in the men's singles final on Sunday. In women's singles, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma delivered one of the standout stories of the tournament, reaching the final with a string of fearless performances, with victories over World Ranks 23, 40, 50, and 58 en route, according to a release from the Badminton Association of India (BAI). The 20-year-old rising star from Karnataka, Ayush, became the first Indian to win a World Tour title this season. The victory capped off a stellar week for Shetty, who also stunned World No. 6 and top seed Chou Tien-Chen in the semifinals to underline his potential on the big stage. Though she fell to top seed Beiwen Zhang of the USA in three games (21-11, 16-21, 21-10), Tanvi etched her name in the record books as the youngest Indian ever to reach a BWF World Tour final. The teenager, ranked World No. 66 and a member of India's Asian Team Championship-winning squad, showcased her readiness for the senior circuit with poise, variety, and attacking flair. Scores - Finals Men's Singles Ayush Shetty (4) defeated Brian Yang (CAN) (3) 21-18, 21-13 Women's Singles Tanvi Sharma beaten by Beiwen Zhang (USA) (1) 11-21, 21-16, 10-21. (ANI)
