Badminton Asia Championships 2026: Ayush shocks World No. 1 Vitidsarn, becomes second Indian ever to reach men’s singles final Ayush Shetty’s impressive campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 continued on Saturday as he stunned defending champion and World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, becoming only the second Indian ever to reach the men’s singles final at the continental event.
Dinesh Khanna had won gold at the 1965 edition. Since then, Khanna (1969), Suresh Goel (1965), Prakash Padukone (1976), Pullela Gopichand (2000), Anup Sridhar (2007) and H. S. Prannoy (2018) have all won bronze medals.
World No. 25 Ayush upset Thailand’s Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 in an hour and 15 minutes in Ningbo, China, to reach the summit clash where he’ll face either second-seeded Chinese Shi Yu Qi or Chou Tien Chen, the fourth-seeded player from Chinese Taipei.
ALSO READ | Who is Ayush Shetty, the Indian who beat World No. 1 at Badminton Asia Championships 2026
It was the second meeting between Ayush and Vitidsarn. They had previously faced each other during last year’s Arctic Open where the Thai shuttler had triumphed 21-15, 21-16. Paris Olympics silver medallist Vitidsarn seemed to be on track to repeat that result in Ningbo as he dominated the Indian player to clinch the first game easily.
However, Ayush turned the tide as he strengthened his defence and kept a fair distance between him and Vitidsarn from the beginning. He led 11-4 at the mid-game interval and soon, earned six games points. But the 24-year-old Thai shuttler, a former World Champion, reeled off five points on the trot.
On the sixth attempt, Ayush finally got the job done with a down-the-line jump smash to take the second game.
In the decider, Ayush took a four-point lead going into the mid-game interval. He converted the second of his four match points to complete a famour win.
READ | Badminton world body to test out synthetic feather shuttlecocks
It has been a memorable week for Ayush, who had won the BWF World Junior Championships bronze medal in 2023. He began his campaign with an upset win over China’s Li Shi Feng, World No. 7, in straight games. He followed it up with a convincing 21-16, 21-12 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen, World No. 20.
In the quarterfinals, the reigning U.S. Open Champion defeated World No. 4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 23-21, 21-17.
Published on Apr 11, 2026
#Badminton #Asia #Championships #Ayush #shocks #World #Vitidsarn #Indian #reach #mens #singles #final
Ayush Shetty’s impressive campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 continued on Saturday as he stunned defending champion and World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, becoming only the second Indian ever to reach the men’s singles final at the continental event.
Dinesh Khanna had won gold at the 1965 edition. Since then, Khanna (1969), Suresh Goel (1965), Prakash Padukone (1976), Pullela Gopichand (2000), Anup Sridhar (2007) and H. S. Prannoy (2018) have all won bronze medals.
World No. 25 Ayush upset Thailand’s Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 in an hour and 15 minutes in Ningbo, China, to reach the summit clash where he’ll face either second-seeded Chinese Shi Yu Qi or Chou Tien Chen, the fourth-seeded player from Chinese Taipei.
ALSO READ | Who is Ayush Shetty, the Indian who beat World No. 1 at Badminton Asia Championships 2026
It was the second meeting between Ayush and Vitidsarn. They had previously faced each other during last year’s Arctic Open where the Thai shuttler had triumphed 21-15, 21-16. Paris Olympics silver medallist Vitidsarn seemed to be on track to repeat that result in Ningbo as he dominated the Indian player to clinch the first game easily.
However, Ayush turned the tide as he strengthened his defence and kept a fair distance between him and Vitidsarn from the beginning. He led 11-4 at the mid-game interval and soon, earned six games points. But the 24-year-old Thai shuttler, a former World Champion, reeled off five points on the trot.
On the sixth attempt, Ayush finally got the job done with a down-the-line jump smash to take the second game.
In the decider, Ayush took a four-point lead going into the mid-game interval. He converted the second of his four match points to complete a famour win.
READ | Badminton world body to test out synthetic feather shuttlecocks
It has been a memorable week for Ayush, who had won the BWF World Junior Championships bronze medal in 2023. He began his campaign with an upset win over China’s Li Shi Feng, World No. 7, in straight games. He followed it up with a convincing 21-16, 21-12 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen, World No. 20.
In the quarterfinals, the reigning U.S. Open Champion defeated World No. 4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 23-21, 21-17.
Published on Apr 11, 2026
![Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/26805807.jpg "Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season")
![Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season](https://i1.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/26805807.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season")
Post Comment