Ayush Shetty is the eighth Indian male to win a medal at Asian Championships. | Photo Credit: BADMINTON ASIA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ayush Shetty’s remarkable run to the final at the Asian Badminton Championships has come with an unexpected trade-off. With the rest of the Indian contingent exiting much earlier, the 20-year-old, who was still in action on Sunday, has found himself stranded in Ningbo without a return flight to India.

The extra day in China has given him time to reflect on a week in which the world number 25 defeated three top-10 players. He began by beating China’s world number 7 Li Shifeng in the opening round, then got the better of former Asian Games champion and world number 4 Jonatan Christie in the quarterfinals, before overcoming world number 1 and Paris Olympics silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinals.

While the final against China’s Shi Yuqi did not go his way, Ayush believes there was plenty to take from it. Speaking to reporters in an online interaction, he said he was pleased with the aggression he showed throughout the tournament and, despite the loss, took valuable lessons from the final.

What’s something that you feel you learned about yourself over the last week?

I learned that I need to keep trusting the process and believing in myself — that was the most important part. This last week, I was really aggressive. I played a lot more attacking badminton, and that was a key point. I’m not usually this aggressive. I showed how much I wanted to win every match, and I’m happy I showed that aggression.

You actually didn’t have a great start to the year. (He’d only won four matches over seven tournaments since the season began). What went right for you in Ningbo?

I actually had a very tough European tour coming into this tournament (I won just one match across the All England Championships, the Swiss Open and the Orleans Masters). At the start of the year also, I hadn’t done that well, but that was because I was coming in with just about a week’s training. I wasn’t at my best physically then.

But going into the Europe leg, I was fully fit and felt I was at my best. It’s tough to make early exits when you are physically at your best. I’ve been working with a psychologist, and I think that played a really important role in keeping my confidence high. After losing a number of matches in the early rounds, it was really important to keep believing in myself.

You beat several top-10 players at the Asian Championships. Even before the final, you had said you were looking forward to playing Shi Yuqi in China. How did you develop this big match temperament?

Last year, I won against a few top players (Ayush beat Chou Tien Chen in the semifinals of the USA Open — my first World Tour 300 title — and later beat Kodai Naraoka at the Australian Open). That played a role. It gave me the confidence that I can compete with the best in the world. I think it’s fun to play against top players. I enjoyed that, and I’m trying to give my best.

READ | Ayush Shetty reminded Viktor Axelsen of his younger days: Vimal Kumar

When you started in the sport, you told your parents you wanted to become a great player. Do you feel you’re on your way to achieving that?

I always wanted to be one of the best in the world. It was my dream, and it still is. Back then, I maybe didn’t believe it as much as I do now. That pushed me to do the hard work it takes to be among the best.

What do you think went wrong in the final against Shi Yuqi?

I think in the final, Shi didn’t give me a chance to attack. He didn’t let me dominate at the net, and I couldn’t create any attacking opportunities. The semifinals had gone a similar way. I had lost the first game (against both Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Shi), and in the second, I took a lead (I was 7-2 up) against Shi.

Against Kunlavut, I think I was able to stay more patient in the longer rallies. Against Shi, I was prepared to be patient, but in the end, I gave him a chance to get back into the game, and he regained his confidence. Once he found his rhythm, he started playing some really sharp shots.

How hard has the loss been for you?

The loss in the final was really tough. I really wanted to win that match. But I think it’s a great learning experience. The way Shi played, he didn’t allow me to come back into the match. It was a good lesson. There are things I’ve learned that I need to do.

If there’s one area I want to improve, it’s the physical side. I need to get physically stronger. If I want to be among the best, it’s an area I need to work on.

You’ve recently started training with Indonesian coach Irwansyah (who was earlier coaching P.V. Sindhu). What was that like?

It’s been only two weeks since I started training with him. With Irwansyah, the sessions are longer. I hadn’t been doing as much physical work since I knew I didn’t have much time before the Asian Championships, but even the sessions we were doing were quite a bit longer and tougher than the ones I had been doing previously.

You seemed to have gone off social media until the final of the Asian Championships. Were you able to see what PV Sindhu wrote about you (Sindhu described Ayush as a ‘generational talent’ in a post on X)

I had actually decided I wasn’t going to post anything about the tournament until the final got over. But I was still looking at social media. I was very happy to see the the good things in Sindhu’s post. I’ve been training with her for some time (at the Prakash Padukone Academy in Bengaluru). We’ve actually done sparring and practised together.

READ |  Ayush Shetty needed more patience in final: Sagar Chopda

There are a few things in common with Sindhu. You are pretty tall as well. How does that help you?

There are both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, I can achieve really sharp angles and hit shots from really steep angles. But on the other side, it’s not easy to defend and get low on the court. I have to really work on building my leg strength.

You trained with Viktor Axelsen a couple of years ago and he said that you remind him of himself when he was younger. What do you make of that?

It makes you feel great when your idol says good things about you. There’s a lot I can learn from him. Viktor is really strong, and he gets really low to the ground, which gives him great defence. It’s really surprising he can do that with his height. This is something I picked up on and want to do if I want to be among the very best.

After reaching the Asian Championships finals, there will be a lot of expectations on you. How do you plan to deal with them in what is a big year for you?

I see the expectation as a challenge. I’m enjoying it and looking forward to the year. There are two major competitions we are targeting this year — the World Championships and the Asian Games.

Published on Apr 13, 2026