Unnati Hooda loses 21-11, 19-21, 21-23 to Michelle Li in World Championships debut
Unnati Hooda lost to 13th seed Michelle Li 21-11, 19-21, 21-23 in the second round of the World Championships in New Delhi on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The result ended Hooda’s World Championships debut.
The 18-year-old claimed the opening game comfortably but dropped the second and then fell in a closely contested deciding game. Hooda acknowledged that a handful of errors at crucial moments contributed to the defeat.
“I feel like in between two or three points, I made a few silly mistakes that shouldn’t have been made,” the Indian said. “Because she’s World No. 13, I think that’s why the silly mistakes [from Michelle] were very few in the critical moments. And whenever she had the chance, she just took it. I have to learn this from playing against the higher-ranked players,” she added.
The Canadian praised Hooda’s performance and acknowledged the effort required to secure the win. “She’s very talented, lots of potential. I think she’s very quick on her feet, and she’s got great shots and she’s a fighter. Today she played really well…I had to grind pretty hard to pull out the win,” she said.
Hooda identified several positives from the match, citing improvements in specific areas of her game. “I controlled well with the dribble, I adjusted well and… my net game has really improved from my past,” she said, and she felt she “was a bit more patient” than in previous matches, sticking to her plan and altering it when the Canadian adapted.
She also reflected on tactical details from the final game, noting a momentary lapse and a service decision. Hooda said she forgot “for one second that there is a drift on that [near] side of the court,” and that she had considered a flick serve but chose against it because she felt both of their “smashes were going really good.”
For a teenager making her Worlds debut, the defeat was a painful one. Unnati was richer by the experience and the knowledge of the fine margins required at the top level.
