Sports News | BWF World Championships 2026: 5 Underdogs Who Could Spring a Surprise in New Delhi
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. As New Delhi prepares to host the BWF World Championships from August 17-23, a new generation of players will arrive eager to test themselves against the sport's biggest stars.
New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Every BWF World Championships has its share of unforgettable upsets. While the biggest names often dominate the headlines, history has shown that young challengers can seize their moment and transform their careers in a single week. As New Delhi prepares to host the BWF World Championships from August 17-23, a new generation of players will arrive eager to test themselves against the sport's biggest stars.
According to a press release from the BWF World Championships, here are five underdogs who have the talent and form to spring a surprise at the BWF World Championships India 2026.
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1. Ayush Shetty (India) - Men's Singles
India's Ayush Shetty has enjoyed a breakthrough year and is quickly becoming one of the country's brightest men's singles prospects. The 20-year-old from Karnataka won the US Open Super 300 title in 2025, his first BWF World Tour title, before producing an even bigger statement by reaching the final of the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships. On that run, he defeated three top-10 players, including Paris Olympics Silver Medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn, before finishing with the silver medal.
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Ayush has enjoyed a breakthrough season, but the BWF World Championships present a different challenge altogether. This will be his first appearance in a tournament where every round features world-class opposition, making him one of the less experienced contenders in the draw.
Ayush has already shown he is capable of beating the very best. His height gives him a strong attacking game, while his confidence has grown after a series of big wins this year. Playing in front of home fans in New Delhi could give him the extra push needed to make a deep run.
2. Unnati Hooda (India) - Women's Singles
At just 18, India's Unnati Hooda has already established herself as one of the country's brightest young badminton talents. Over the past year, she has made rapid progress on the senior circuit, picking up big wins against experienced opponents and breaking into the BWF Women's Singles Top 20, becoming only the third Indian woman after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu to achieve the feat under the current ranking system.
The women's singles draw at the World Championships is stacked with some of the biggest names in badminton, including reigning world No. 1 An Se-young (South Korea), Chen Yufei (China), Akane Yamaguchi (Japan), PV Sindhu (India) and several other established stars. While Unnati has shown immense promise, this will be her World Championships debut, and she is still building experience at the highest level. That makes her an outsider compared to the tournament favourites.
Unnati has already proved that she can beat top-quality opposition. At the 2025 China Open Super 1000, she stunned two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion PV Sindhu to become the youngest Indian woman to reach the quarter-finals of a Super 1000 event.
She followed that up at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships, where she defeated World No. 11 Supanida Katethong of Thailand in one of the biggest upsets of the opening round. These performances have shown that she is capable of handling pressure and competing with some of the world's best players. With home support behind her and growing confidence from her recent results, Unnati has the ability to put together another strong run and emerge as one of the surprise medallists in New Delhi.
3. Alwi Farhan (Indonesia) - Men's Singles
Indonesia's Alwi Farhan is one of the brightest young talents in world badminton. The 20-year-old announced himself by winning the 2023 BWF World Junior Championships, becoming only the second Indonesian to claim the boys' singles title. Since then, he has made an impressive transition to the senior circuit, winning the 2025 Macau Open Super 300, his maiden BWF World Tour title, and playing a key role in Indonesia's triumph at the 2025 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships.
Despite his rapid rise, Alwi is still establishing himself on the senior circuit. Many of his rivals have years of experience competing deep into major championships, making the Indonesian youngster one of the tournament's emerging challengers rather than an outright favourite.
Alwi has already shown that he belongs on the biggest stage. He remained unbeaten as Indonesia won its maiden Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships title in 2025 and later defeated World No. 3 Anders Antonsen during the Sudirman Cup group stage.
Winning the Macau Open Super 300 later that year further proved that he can deliver under pressure over an entire tournament. With his aggressive style, quick movement and growing confidence against top-ranked opponents, Alwi has all the ingredients to emerge as one of the surprise medal contenders in New Delhi.
4. Tomoka Miyazaki (Japan) - Women's Singles
Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki has rapidly emerged as one of the brightest young talents in world badminton. The 19-year-old announced herself on the global stage by winning the 2022 BWF World Junior Championships, becoming only the fourth Japanese player to claim the girls' singles title.
Since then, she has made a seamless transition to the senior circuit, winning the 2024 Orleans Masters Super 300 and the 2025 Taipei Open Super 300, while also finishing runner-up at the 2024 China Open Super 1000 and capturing the 2024 All Japan National Championships. Her consistent performances have propelled her into the world's top 10, establishing her as one of Japan's leading women's singles players.
Although she has already broken into the world's top 10, Miyazaki is still searching for her first World Championships medal. With several proven champions in the draw, the young Japanese star will have to overcome some of the sport's biggest names to reach the podium.
Miyazaki has already shown that she can compete with the very best. Her title-winning campaigns at the 2024 Orleans Masters Super 300 and the 2025 Taipei Open Super 300, along with her runner-up finish at the 2024 China Open Super 1000, proved that she can string together victories against elite opposition over an entire tournament.
Blessed with exceptional speed, sharp anticipation and remarkable consistency from the back court, she thrives in long rallies and rarely gives away easy points. With another year of experience on the senior circuit and growing confidence from her recent results, Miyazaki has all the attributes to emerge as one of the surprise medallists in New Delhi.
5. Kalyana Nalbantova (Bulgaria) - Women's Singles
Bulgaria's Kalyana Nalbantova has rapidly emerged as one of Europe's brightest young badminton talents. At just 20 years old, she is a two-time European Junior champion, having won the title in 2022 and 2024.
She has also claimed four BWF International titles - the Hungarian International (2022), Bulgarian International (2023), Belgian International (2025) and Czech Open (2025). Nalbantova represented Bulgaria at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, finished runner-up at the 2026 US Open Super 300, and was part of the Bulgarian team that created history by winning the European Women's Team Championships for the first time, adding another milestone to her rapidly growing career.
She has also registered victories over multiple top-20 players and climbed to a career-high World No. 40, underlining her rise as one of Europe's leading young stars.
Despite her impressive rise, Nalbantova is yet to make a deep run at the BWF World Championships. Coming from a nation with limited history of success at badminton's biggest individual event, she is unlikely to receive the same attention as the established stars from Asia. That allows her to arrive in New Delhi with relatively little pressure, making her a genuine dark horse capable of surprising the field.
Nalbantova has consistently shown she can compete with the world's best. Winning back-to-back European Junior titles, reaching the final of the 2026 US Open Super 300, defeating multiple top-20 opponents and helping Bulgaria achieve its first-ever European Women's Team Championships title reflect both her quality and composure on the big stage.
At just 20 years of age and already a career-high World No. 40, she is widely regarded as one of Europe's brightest women's singles prospects and among the players expected to carry the continent's legacy in the post-Carolina Marin era. If she carries that momentum into New Delhi and capitalises on a favourable draw, Nalbantova has every chance of emerging as one of the surprise medallists of the tournament.
Every BWF World Championships produces a few surprise performers. Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Alwi Farhan, Tomoka Miyazaki and Kalyana Nalbantova may not begin the week among the favourites, but each has already demonstrated the talent and temperament to challenge the sport's biggest names.
In a tournament where one inspired week can redefine a career, these are the players who could emerge as the breakout stars in New Delhi. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)