The draw for the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi sets Ayush Shetty up to play top-ranked Chinese shuttler Shi Yuqi in the first round. Multiple reports say the match is a major test early in the tournament and note that Shetty has an opportunity to improve his head-to-head record against Shi Yuqi.
PV Sindhu, who is aiming for a sixth World Championships medal, is seeded ninth. The draw indicates she does not face the tournament’s top seed immediately and could reach the semifinals without meeting top seed An Se Young until the last four, where the two would potentially meet.
For the men’s singles bracket, Lakshya Sen’s path is described as relatively more favorable in the early stages, with the draw giving him a chance to progress to the round of 16. The championships begin on August 17, with the full matchups determined by the published bracket.
