Ayush Shetty wins US Open with a blistering win over Brian Yang
The 20-year-old, 6-foot-4 has raised hopes of India stomping back to contend in men's singles with his game that swaggers and stings with attacking bite
Written by Shivani Naik
Mumbai | Updated: June 30, 2025 08:38 PM IST
4 min read
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Ayush Shetty in action in the semi-final of the US Open 2025 badminton tournament in Iowa. (PHOTO: BWF/Badminton Photo)
Ayush Shetty, who has now become India’s No 2 men’s singles player, picked his biggest title of his career to date, by out-peppering the compulsive jump-smasher Brian Yang of Canada.
A glorious, full-blooded cross court smash that travelled the diagonal length of the Council Bluffs court in Iowa mid-central USA, gave the 20-year-old, 6-foot-4 a Super 300 victory at the US Open as he won 21-18, 21-13 in 47 minutes.
Shetty, built like Viktor Axelsen, and playing imperiously like him, punctured hopes of the jumpy Yang, and it mattered little if he was playing from the easier slower side or the tougher faster one.
Iowa is badminton’s far outpost, and the winner’s cheque was literally carrying a drawling scribbled amount of USD 18,000 written hurriedly with a black marker. But this first title will count as extremely precious to Shetty who had lost his last Super 300 final at Taiwan late last autumn.
On Sunday though, there was no denying the Indian, who after pulling out four tricky wins, simply unleashed an unfettered attack, against an opponent who deflated and got defused with what was peppered at him.
Yang’s deep lifts and optimistic clears trying to evade Shetty’s long levered reach, going for the back line, yielded a bulk of points for the Indian. It was both Shetty’s judgment of the shuttle trajectory and Yang’s inability to find the lines that meant the looming figure only had to lure the Canadian into going for that desperate loopy lob which unfailingly drifted out.
Yang can jump, at times compulsively and his smashes do come back at a quick clip, so the pace of the rally is always bustling. But Shetty is far too solid on his net tumbles and extremely accurate on the drops, when he’s not cross-smashing the daylights out of opponents. He would take the lead and keep it, even while the right knee gashed and needed stemming with tape, twice.
All that diving meant he needed medical attention at 16-14. Yang would level at 16-16 when Shetty pulled out a blistering cross court expansive smash with such a whip that he seemed to be right back, as he moved to 19-16.
On 20-18, Shetty was drawn into close dribbles, though it was evident Yang was priming to send one back. The 20-year-old loping giant, has a funny way to track back, it’s like a reverse duck walk, and it’s mighty effective. Within three back dragging steps, he was behind the midcourt and his reflex slap return happily lobbed over Yang to give him the opener 21-18.
In the second, Shetty had a healthy 11-6 lead and made greater use of the short overhead smash, before he needed a medical break a second time around. Yang however had found a chink in the armour going for Shetty’s backhand flank and repeatedly made him twist amd turn, left amd right, getting winners on his far forehand. It helped Yang narrow the gap to 11-13, but Shetty used his swarming body shots to win points in a bunch and negate any leverage Yang fancied holding.
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The knee got some bruising from his low dives and Yang pinged him a few times on that backhand trap. But those seemed minor quibble, as the Shetty storm drowned Brian Yang.
Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball.
Professional Profile
Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express.
Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics.
Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium.
Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025)
Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond:
Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style.
PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps.
The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals.
Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas.
Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes.
Notable Recent Articles
BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025)
The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025)
Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025)
Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025)
Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025)
Other Sports Interests
Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts.
You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More
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