Ayush Shetty at BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi; emerging stars poised to upset top seeds

BWF World Championships 2026: Ayush Shetty among emerging stars to watch in New Delhi

From Ayush Shetty’s lethal attack to Victor Lai’s rapid rise, meet six emerging players and pairs capable of upsetting established names at the World Badminton Championships.

The upcoming BWF World Championships 2026 will bring badminton ’s biggest names to New Delhi, but the established stars will not be the only ones worth watching.

From India’s Ayush Shetty and Canada’s Victor Lai in men’s singles to exciting young combinations across the doubles disciplines, several emerging players arrive with the form and firepower to upset higher-ranked opponents and make a deep run at the World Badminton Championships .

The Canadian was the breakout star of Paris 2025. Since then he has only grown in stature: he has been a sensation this year making the semi-finals of three Super 1000 tournaments and winning one - the Indonesia Open. Having made the semi-finals of the India Open at the same venue, Lai will have the confidence for another stellar run.

The most exciting young pair on the circuit, the Indonesians have done exceptionally well considering they are in their early 20s. They were in three finals this year, including the Indonesia Open. With an uninhibited attacking style and not yet weighed down by expectations, they are a pair that could cause plenty of problems for more established reputations.

Sim has spent much of the last few years in the shadow of her super-achieving compatriot An Se Young, and she has taken her time to hone her game. While the 26-year-old has yet to win major titles, she has become a difficult opponent to beat, and the results have showed this year, with semi-finals at the Badminton Asia Championships and the Indonesia Open.

The young Indian has made rapid strides over the past year and is now a threat to any opponent with his lethal attack. His best performance this season was at the Badminton Asia Championships, where he beat Kunlavut Vitidsarn to make the final. Shetty followed up with some impressive wins at the Thomas Cup; since then, nursing a niggle in his right arm, he hasn’t gone deep in any tournament. Still, he’s among the dangerous floaters in the men’s singles draw.

The Danes, both in their mid-20s, have been on the verge of a major breakthrough. This season, they found form with a final at the Swiss Open, semi-finals at the Indonesia Masters and the European Championships, and a title at the Malaysia Masters. With wins over several top 10 pairs, including Goh Sze Fei

Soh Wooi Yik and Takuro Hoki

Yugo Kobayashi, the Danes will know a podium place is not beyond them.

The pair is part of a cohort of young emerging talent from the USA, and they’ve made their presence felt. They’ve had an excellent season, highlighted by three back-to-back semi-finals in Australia, US and Canada. While a big World Tour win has so far eluded them, they’ve made rapid strides at the top level, and are now capable of taking down far more established opponents.

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