Who is Ayush Shetty? 20-year-old rising Indian badminton star who won US Open Super 300 event
20-year-old rising Indian badminton star Ayush Shetty won the US Open 2025 Super 300 event to win his maiden senior title.
Rising Indian badminton sensation Ayush Shetty defeated Brian Yang of Canada in the final to clinch the US Open Super 300 title on Sunday. 20-year-old Shetty defeated Yang 21-18, 21-13 in straight sets to pick up the biggest title of his career so far. A promising talent, Shetty has been touted by many to become a future star of Indian badminton.
Shetty, who is 6-foot-4, produced an exceptional attacking display in the final to outplay Yang, who is higher ranked than him. With his US Open victory, Shetty also ended India's BWF title drought in 2025, as no other Indian player has so far managed to clinch a major title this year.
Shetty, who has been doing well in the national circuit over the last few years, caught the attention of many when he defeated world no.6 Chou Tien Chen in the semi-final of the US Open Super 200 tournament. The young Indian shuttler prevailed 23-21, 15-21, 14-21 over Chou in a hard-fought three-setter to book his spot in the final against Yang.
He continued his impressive display in the final by getting the better of Yang to bag the first BWF title of his career. Shetty's heroics have rightfully brought the limelight on him as he has been tipped to carry the baton of Indian badminton forward in the coming years. India's male shuttlers have declined over the years, but with the rise of talent like Shetty, there is strong hope.
"It means a lot—it’s my first title on the senior circuit. So I’m really happy. There are a lot of positives to take away. I played some excellent badminton here, and I’m looking forward to the Canada Open next week," said Shetty after claiming the first major title of his career.
Who is Ayush Shetty?
India's rising badminton star Ayush Shetty hails from Mangalore, Karnataka. Inspired by his father, who used to play badminton in their backyard, Shetty took up the sport at the age of 12 and has been training ever since. His family later moved to Bengaluru for better training facilities, while also continuing his higher education.
Though Shetty has been pursuing his higher education, badminton has been his first love, and he continues to give the sport all he has in his pursuit of excellence. Shetty enjoyed his first breakthrough in the year 2023 when he won the bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA.
He currently trains at the famed Prakash Padukone Academy in Bengaluru, which is also the home of Lakshya Sen, the highest-ranked Indian male shuttler at present. Shetty, who held the no.2 spot in India's junior singles for a significant period, is also pursuing a BSc in Sports Science at the Reva University in Bengaluru.
The expectations are high from Shetty, who is currently ranked 31st in men's singles and is the second-highest ranked Indian, behind Lakshya Sen. Having already secured his first senior title, sky is the limit for the 20-year-old, who has a long way to go if he is to become a prominent name in international badminton.