The journey from promise to performance is one of the most important markers of an elite sportsperson’s quality. How the boundless energy, youthful drive and seemingly infinite potential amalgamate and transform into sustained success often defines a player’s worthiness.

Ayush Shetty, the rising 21-year-old badminton player who has been the toast of the nation in recent weeks, is the latest Indian to try and crack this code. After first coming into the limelight in October 2023 by bagging a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships, Ayush, in his first full-fledged year on the senior circuit, secured the 2025 US Open Super 300 title.

Inspired run

Last month, he made an inspired run to the final of the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in China, beating three top-10 players en route and breaking into the world’s top-20 at the end of it. At the Thomas Cup that followed, he helped India finish with a creditable bronze medal, only its second podium finish at the prestigious team event, adding to the 2022 gold.

“In the last couple of years, we believed he was progressing well, and that he would show this performance,” said U. Vimal Kumar, Dronacharya awardee and chief coach at the Centre for Badminton Excellence in Bengaluru — erstwhile Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) — where Ayush trains.

“His height [6’4”] and the sharpness he has while playing the downward shots are tremendous advantages for him. In fact, this is the age for a player to show results. They might not win big tournaments, but at 18, 19 and 20, if you can show that you are capable of beating top international players, create upsets…

“I always look for that trend. Players who have excelled at the world stage have all done that. Ayush is one of them.”

Interestingly, Ayush, unlike a quintessential prodigy, has had a quiet rise. When he was younger, he was indeed spoken about in badminton circles, but they were mostly in hushed tones and whispers. As Krishna Kumar, his childhood coach, pointed out, Ayush never won a National title.

“Nothing at any sub-junior or junior National Championship, and his father was very upset about it,” said Krishna Kumar. “I told him, ‘Don’t worry, the real results will come when he is somewhere around 19 or a senior.’ When he was 19, he became junior No. 2 in the world.”

That belief was courtesy the impression Ayush left on Krishna Kumar nearly a decade ago at the U-13 Nationals in Vijayawada. So deep was it that the rendezvous resulted in the talented youngster coming under the coach’s tutelage at I-Sports badminton school in Bengaluru within a year of moving from Karkala in Udupi district.

“I was the Karnataka coach and there was a training camp at the Karnataka Badminton Association (KBA),” Krishna Kumar recollected. “Back then, the PPBA was inside KBA and I requested Vimal Kumar for a player for Ayush to practise with. But that boy beat Ayush very easily, two days in a row.

“Once in Vijayawada, Ayush won the first and second rounds but developed a fever after that. I asked him to take an injection and play. He met that same PPBA player, and to our surprise, won the match in two straight games. That was the first sign.

Clear vision

“After that, every time he used to be in the lower-age category, he used to trouble those higher. He had a clear vision. In his first year in U-15, he wanted to become the top player in India. He had the ambition to play at the international level. I would say, he is fearless.”

The ability to punch above his weight is a recurring feature. It was most recently seen at the BAC, where, as World No. 25, he beat the then No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, No. 4 Jonatan Christie and No. 7 Li Shi Feng.

In the Thomas Cup quarters against Chinese Taipei, he felled reigning All England Open champion and World No. 8 Lin Chun-Yi in authoritative fashion — 21-16, 21-17 in 48 minutes.

“He has beaten at least six or seven players in the top-10 and that is a big plus for me,” said Vimal. “At BAC, I was most impressed by the way he defended. After blocking the shuttle, his approach to the net was really good. The flick and the tumble at the net were near-perfect. I would rate him as good as any top-10 player.”

Ayush’s ascent comes at a critical time for Indian badminton. Last year was frighteningly barren for the country, with Ayush’s Super 300 trophy and Lakshya Sen’s Australian Open Super 500 crown being the only top prizes.

But in the first four months of 2026 alone, Ayush and Lakshya — by reaching the All England final — have brought things back on track. The two are now ranked 18th and 11th in the world, and will be the prime drivers of the Indian challenge at the BWF World Championships this August in New Delhi.

However, it is also a fact that India has had a series of near misses in recent times. No Indian men’s singles player has won an elite BWF Super 1000-level title since K. Srikanth’s success at the 2017 Denmark Open. Can Lakshya, or Ayush, help end the drought?

“Ayush needs to bring in more variations,” opined Vimal. “Against Shi Yu Qi [then No. 2] in the BAC final, he thought he could just hit through. But Shi is one of the most complete players and did not allow Ayush to play to his strengths.

“Also, he cannot afford to be a slow starter. With games becoming 15-point affairs from next year, I don’t know if it’s going to make it like T20 [cricket]. He can’t play the way he did against Christo Popov [in the 11-21, 9-21 Thomas Cup semifinal loss to France]. If you don’t get going early, you are out.”

The path forward will be far from uncomplicated. There will be pitfalls galore, like the negative effects of early stardom, wavering focus, injuries, etc. A wrong step or two can derail a career.

Vimal doesn’t want Ayush to succumb to the perils of fame, and instead wants him to stay true to his reticent, introverted personality. The former National champion wasn’t too approving of the exuberant celebrations following India’s Thomas Cup quarterfinal triumph over Taipei.

“When your personality is a certain way, you should not go looking for something that is not there,” the former National champion stated bluntly. “You still had a semifinal to play. Lakshya is different, more flamboyant, but not Ayush.”

Cultivating an aura

Instead, Ayush could work on making better use of his physical stature, felt Vimal.

“The best players I’ve seen at close quarters, from Prakash Padukone to Morten Frost, all had an aura,” said Vimal. “Ayush is a big, tall guy, and when he comes onto the court, he should look threatening. When Viktor Axelsen walked in, the far-eastern players used to be worried. I could make out from their eyes. Ayush has to develop something similar.”