Undeterred by Viktor Axelsen comparison, Ayush Shetty hopes to carve his own path

The young and talented Ayush Shetty has shown signs of what the future of Indian badminton beholds. All of 20, Ayush is already part of the elite men’s singles circuit.

His thunderous smashes and aggression on court have started to catch attention, and he is no longer afraid of big names. In fact, he is competing and refusing to be overawed.

But away from the bright lights on court and roaring arenas, the picture softens. The same boy shyly navigates himself through the attention that follows after each performance.

"This is my first time handling it, so I think it’s something new. But it’s a good experience for me," Ayush Shetty told The Bridge on Monday.

Last week at the Malaysian Open, the world No. 30 knocked out the Paris Olympics bronze medalist Lee Zii Jia at his home turf and in the second round took a game off world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi before bowing out, establishing that he belongs at the highest level.

"Playing world No. 1 is obviously a big challenge. But I have always told myself that you can beat anyone. That’s the mindset I have," said Shetty.

"If you think someone is No. 1, it’s hard to keep up with their game. On court, I always believe I can give them a good fight and even win a game," he added.

The transition to senior circuit

His big breakthrough came at the 2023 World Junior Championships, where he won the bronze medal in boys’ singles. Since then, his transition to the senior circuit has been impressive.

Last year, he reached the semi-finals of the Orleans Masters Super 300 and followed it up with another semi-final finish at the Taipei Open in May. The very next month, he took a major step forward by winning the US Open Super 300.

"The transition from junior to senior was really tough. You have to play so many good players and stay consistent. That’s the most challenging part, but I have managed to do it pretty well over the years and even break into the top 30. Now, I am playing against the best, and it's really tough," Shetty confessed.

“Every time you play in a big tournament, you have to face top players. Every match is tough, there are no easy games. You have to be on top of your game all the time, and the intensity is really high.

"Last year, I had some good wins that gave me confidence that I could not only compete with top players but also beat some of them, and that really boosted my belief in myself," he added.

India's Viktor Axelsen?

His tall frame and attacking style often drawing comparisons to two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. He also had an opportunity to train alongside the Danish modern day great.

“We have a pretty similar game. We both like to attack. It is really good to be called the next (Viktor) Axelsen of India. But I would like to continue my own path," Shetty said.

"Viktor is someone who I looked after. He is my idol. He is a complete man to me. He has achieved everything. I think there’s no comparison.

"The learning has been both on the court and off the court on how he manages himself, the intensity in his training, the discipline," he added.

What next?

On Tuesday, the young Ayush will face the experienced and high-ranked Lakshya Sen in an all-India first-round clash in New Delhi. Ayush has lost both head-to-head meetings against Lakshya but hopes to be on the winning side on his debut at the India Open Super 750.

"Definitely happy to be alongside my seniors. Obviously, I have looked up to them growing up. So, I think it’s really great to be here with them at my first India Open," he said.

Having already made big strides in the year that went by, he isn't content.

"The goal is to rise up in the rankings. The target is top 10 in my mind," he signed off.