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Ayush reminds you of Axelsen, mentor Vimal Kumar says after US Open win

National Herald | July 1, 2025 10:39 PM CST

The timing of young Ayush Shetty’s first senior title at the US Open badminton, a Super 300 tournament, on Sunday could not have been better. It’s the first title of the year by an Indian on the BWF Tour this season, a fact which says something about the rut that the sport finds itself in after some unusual highs over most of the last decade.

Recent months have seen Lakshya Sen, India’s no. 1 ranked singles player, slip five places in the rankings to 19th, while even more shocking is the loss of form of the former world no. 1 doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, who moved out of the top 10 after years. Double Olympics medallist P.V. Sindhu has been unable to buck the trend of early exits this year and is no. 21 in current rankings.

At 20, the six foot-plus, lithe young man from Mangalore has certainly taken a giant leap with the silverware to establish himself as the next big prospect in men’s singles after Lakshya, with the youngster currently ranked world no. 31.

"His height is a major attribute in his game which can remind you of the great Viktor Axelsen. Ayush has a very steep smash and can often be intimidating for opponents," said Vimal Kumar, the Dronacharya coach who has been mentoring him at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence (CSE) in Bengaluru for five years.

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Speaking to National Herald over the phone, Vimal sounded pleased at a performance graph which showed an upward curve this year. "Ayush got a chance to spar with Axelsen in Dubai and this year, he beat a number of top-20 players. He is surely the one to look out for in men's singles for India," said Vimal, a former national coach who has been a guiding light for several current stars.

“It (US Open) 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 in Iowa and I’m looking forward to the Canada Open next week,” Ayush said after wearing down Canada’s Brian Yang in the final.

The semi-final was possibly more demanding, with Ayush getting the better of world no. 6 Chinese Chou Tien Chen, where a 39-shot rally between the two had the Indian diaspora in raptures when Ayush eventually nailed the point.

Earlier this season, the rangy Ayush reached the semi-finals of the Orleans Masters Super 300, defeating former world champion Loh Kean Yew and Rasmus Gemke along the way. In May, he beat senior compatriot Kidambi Srikanth to reach the semi-finals of the Taipei Open.

Ayush’s journey began in his backyard when he was goaded by his father to begin playing badminton at eight. He initially trained under local coaches in Karkala and Mangalore but when he was 12, his family relocated to Bengaluru so he could access better training facilities. ''He was first enrolled in I-Sports here and they recommended him to us for taking him to the next level,'' recalled Vimal, director and chief coach of CSE.

His breakthrough came in 2023 when Ayush landed bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA, becoming only the sixth Indian male singles player to win a medal at the event. Then ranked no. 1 in India’s junior singles, he defeated Japan’s Yudai Okimoto in the quarter-finals before losing to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the semis.

His height helps his court coverage, while Chirag has been working diligently to improve his defence. "You need solid defense to be a good singles player and Ayush has worked on that aspect well. The US Open should certainly do wonders for his confidence," Vimal observed.