The BWF World Championships India 2026 in New Delhi (August 17-23) is expected to feature the sport’s biggest names, but a BWF World Championships press release has spotlighted five underdogs who could deliver the kind of upsets that often define the tournament. With one standout week capable of reshaping a career, the list focuses on emerging talents who have already shown they can beat elite opposition and handle major-stage pressure.
The five players named are India’s Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda, Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan, Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki, and Bulgaria’s Kalyana Nalbantova. While none begin the week as headline favourites, each arrives with recent results that suggest they can challenge established stars in the draw.
Five surprise contenders named for New Delhi 2026
Ayush Shetty (India) – Men’s Singles
Ayush Shetty is described as one of India’s brightest men’s singles prospects after a breakthrough period on tour. The 20-year-old from Karnataka won the US Open Super 300 title in 2025, which was his first BWF World Tour title. He then produced a bigger statement at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships by reaching the final and taking the silver medal.
During that run, Shetty defeated three top-10 players, including Paris Olympics silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The press release notes that the World Championships will be a different test, marking his first appearance in a tournament where every round features world-class opposition, leaving him among the less experienced contenders in the draw.
Still, his recent wins underline his ability to beat top players, and the release points to his height and attacking game, along with growing confidence. With the event in New Delhi, home support is framed as an additional factor that could help him make a deep run.
Unnati Hooda (India) – Women’s Singles
Unnati Hooda, 18, is highlighted as another Indian youngster with the potential to surprise. Over the past year, she has progressed rapidly on the senior circuit and broken into the BWF women’s singles top 20. The release notes she became only the third Indian woman—after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu—to reach that mark under the current ranking system.
The women’s singles field is described as stacked, with major names including reigning world No. 1 An Se-young, Chen Yufei, Akane Yamaguchi, and PV Sindhu among the established stars. Hooda is set for her World Championships debut and is still building experience at the top level, which is why she is positioned as an outsider compared to the favourites.
Her recent results are cited as proof of her upside. 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 at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships by defeating Thailand’s world No. 11 Supanida Katethong in an opening-round upset. The release suggests those performances show she can handle pressure and could put together another strong run with home support in New Delhi.
Alwi Farhan (Indonesia) – Men’s Singles
Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan is presented as one of the brightest young men’s singles talents, with a pathway that includes major junior success and quick senior progress. The 20-year-old won the 2023 BWF World Junior Championships, becoming only the second Indonesian to claim the boys’ singles title.
On the senior circuit, he won the 2025 Macau Open Super 300 for his maiden BWF World Tour title and played a key role in Indonesia’s triumph at the 2025 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. Even with that rise, the release frames him as an emerging challenger rather than an outright favourite due to the experience many rivals have in major championships.
Among the standout markers of his potential, the release notes 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. His aggressive style, quick movement, and growing confidence against top-ranked opponents are cited as reasons he could contend for a surprise medal in New Delhi.
Tomoka Miyazaki (Japan) – Women’s Singles
Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki, 19, is identified as a fast-rising women’s singles player who has already built a strong senior résumé. She won the 2022 BWF World Junior Championships, becoming only the fourth Japanese player to claim the girls’ singles title.
Her senior achievements in the release include winning the 2024 Orleans Masters Super 300 and the 2025 Taipei Open Super 300, finishing runner-up at the 2024 China Open Super 1000, and capturing the 2024 All Japan National Championships. Those results have helped push her into the world’s top 10, establishing her as one of Japan’s leading women’s singles players.
Despite that, the release notes she is still searching for her first World Championships medal, and would need to overcome proven champions to reach the podium. Her speed, anticipation, and consistency from the back court are highlighted, along with an ability to thrive in long rallies, positioning her as a potential surprise medallist in New Delhi.
Kalyana Nalbantova (Bulgaria) – Women’s Singles
Bulgaria’s Kalyana Nalbantova is described as one of Europe’s brightest young talents. At 20, she is a two-time European Junior champion, winning in 2022 and 2024, and has claimed four BWF International titles: the Hungarian International (2022), Bulgarian International (2023), Belgian International (2025), and Czech Open (2025).
The release adds that she 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 won the European Women’s Team Championships for the first time. She has also registered wins over multiple top-20 players and climbed to a career-high world No. 40.
While she is yet to make a deep run at the World Championships, the release suggests arriving from a nation with limited history of success at the event could reduce pressure and make her a genuine dark horse. If she carries her momentum into New Delhi and benefits from a favourable draw, she is presented as a player who could emerge as a surprise medallist.
Why these names matter at the World Championships
The press release’s central point is that the World Championships routinely produce breakout performers—and that Shetty, Hooda, Farhan, Miyazaki, and Nalbantova have already shown the talent and temperament to challenge top opposition. With New Delhi hosting from August 17-23, the tournament offers a major stage for this group to turn recent promise into a defining run.
