Ayush Shetty Stuns World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi at BWF World Championships

India’s Ayush Shetty produced the biggest win of his young career on Monday, stunning world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China in a thrilling first-round clash at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi.

Making his World Championships debut, the 21-year-old Indian defeated Shi 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 to storm into the men’s singles second round. It was Shetty’s first victory over the Chinese star after three previous defeats, including their meeting in the Badminton Asia Championships final in April.

Shetty made a flying start, racing to an 11-5 lead in the opening game. His sharp court coverage, retrievals and powerful smashes repeatedly troubled Shi, while the Chinese shuttler’s unforced errors helped the Indian close out the game 21-14.

Shi responded strongly in the second game, using his experience to extend rallies and test Shetty physically. The defending champion forced the Indian into a series of errors and levelled the contest by taking the game 21-13.

The decider became a tense battle. Shetty again surged ahead 11-5 and extended his advantage to 15-5 before moving to 20-15. Shi then launched a remarkable fightback, winning four consecutive points to reduce the deficit to 20-19. Shetty, however, kept his composure and converted the next opportunity to seal one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.

The victory adds another major milestone to Shetty’s rapid rise. The Karnataka shuttler won the 2025 US Open Super 300 and became the first Indian men’s singles player since 1965 to reach the Badminton Asia Championships final, where he had defeated several established stars on his way to the title clash.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also began her campaign on a winning note, defeating Ireland’s Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11 in just 29 minutes. The ninth seed is targeting a record sixth World Championships medal after winning five medals — one gold, two silver and two bronze — including the 2019 world title.

A semifinal appearance would guarantee Sindhu another medal and make her the first player in World Championships history to win six. She will next face Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang, who defeated Bulgaria’s Stefani Stoeva.

In doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced after beating Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez 21-9, 21-13. They will next face 16th seeds Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee of the United States.

Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun also progressed after Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds retired while trailing 21-16, 6-4. They will face Korean 15th seeds Min Hyuk Kang and Dong Ju Ki. Fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received a first-round bye and will begin against Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle.

The 2026 BWF World Championships, being held from August 17 to 23 in New Delhi, mark India’s return as host after 17 years and bring the world’s leading shuttlers together for the sport’s premier individual tournament.