By the time Unnati Hooda walked onto Court 1 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, she already had a reminder of what was possible at the World Championships. 24 hours earlier, 21-year-old Ayush Shetty had walked into his maiden World Championships match against the defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. The draw had offered the Indian youngster perhaps the most daunting of opening-round assignments. Instead, Ayush Shetty produced the biggest upset of the tournament so far, beating the Chinese star 21-14, 13-21, 21-19.
Unnati was watching, and Ayush’s win gave her something to take into her own senior World Championships debut.
“Yeah, he’s my good friend, and he played really well yesterday. Definitely, he won against the No. 1 seed here, so it really gives everyone confidence,” the 18-year-old said after her hard-fought opening round win.
“Just remember who you are and give it your all on the court. There is one versus one, anybody can lose and anyone can win. So just believe in yourself.”
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On Tuesday, after an overnight sleep after Ayush’s sensational result, Unnati had her own challenge to navigate. The 18-year-old needed 40 minutes to get past Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar 22-20, 21-16 in the women’s singles first round. It was not quite the straightforward opening she might have expected, but Unnati showed enough composure to get the job done in two games.
And, as she has done for much of her career, she had her father by her side.
FATHER BY HER SIDE
Sitting in the coach’s chair was Upkar Hooda, who has trained his daughter for the last 10 years. For Unnati, having her father in her corner is hardly unusual. But on a stage as big as the World Championships, his presence offered her a familiar voice as she navigated the nerves, the occasion and a tricky court.
The first game ebbed and flowed. Unnati led 11-10 at the break, but Thet refused to let her pull away. Unnati had to stay patient and manage the drift before eventually taking the game 22-20.
The second game appeared to be heading in a more comfortable direction. Unnati was more aggressive, getting her backhand flicks away on time and putting Thet under pressure. She raced to a 16-5 lead and, with the cushion, began trying out a few variations.
It nearly allowed Thet back into the contest.
A few unforced errors crept into Unnati’s game and the Myanmar player strung together a run of points. From the coach’s chair, Upkar’s instructions became louder. His daughter had given herself enough breathing room; now she needed to close the door.
“With such a lead, I was trying to play a few of my strokes, try my variations. He also said try them. But then I made some silly errors. He quickly told me, ‘No, no, just focus and play (your normal game),’” Unnati said.
The message worked. Unnati steadied herself and closed out the game 21-16.
Her father has been central to the journey that has brought her to this stage. He gave up his job to support her badminton ambitions, and Unnati has spent the last decade training under his guidance, with coach Parvesh Kumar also playing an important role in her development.
A BIG TEST AWAITS
The next step, though, will demand more than familiarity and family support.
Unnati, currently the second-best ranked women’s singles shuttler in India, has been part of a growing group of young Indian players pushing for their place at the top. Devika Sihag, Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Rakshita Sri and Anmol Kharb are among those making waves, making consistency increasingly important for Unnati as she looks to establish herself at the highest level.
She has already had an early taste of success, becoming the youngest Indian to win a BWF World Tour Super 100 title at the age of 14. But the next phase of her career is about doing it consistently.
Her second-round opponent will be Canada’s Michelle Li, who is ranked 13 places higher and is 16 years older. Li is a reigning Pan American champion and a vastly experienced operator who knows how to handle the demands of major tournaments. She also has a win over Unnati from their only previous meeting, at the Arctic Open in 2024.
Unnati knows what awaits.
“I just want to focus on my game tomorrow, give my all, 100 per cent, be there and just enjoy it because it’s going to be a good match,” she said.
If there was one thing she wanted to carry from her first match, it was patience.
“I think being really patient is one thing I’ll just keep in mind. I did that today also, in the last half of the first game, and it really helped me. So, keeping my nerves in control”
And perhaps there is another lesson she can carry from the Indian camp.
Ayush had arrived at the World Championships with three defeats against Shi Yuqi, including a one-sided loss in the Badminton Asia Championships final in April. On Monday, he walked onto the same stage and beat the world No. 1.
Unnati saw it happen. Now, as she prepares to face another experienced opponent, she has a simple thought to hold on to.
One versus one. Anybody can lose. Anyone can win.
– Ends
