'As expected, the Emperor' An Se-young conquers the world again! Korean badminton defeats China 3-1 in the final... 'World Team Championship title' won for the first time in four years

*This content was translated by AI.

An Se-young (24, Samsung Life) continues to write her legendary record. The Republic of Korea Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team defeated the defending champions and stood atop the world stage.

The South Korean national team defeated the Chinese national team 3-1 in the final of the 2026 Uber Cup (World Women's Team Badminton Championships) held in Horsens, Denmark, on the 3rd (Korea time), securing the tournament title.

Having claimed the title in this tournament in 2022, South Korea successfully reclaimed the trophy for the first time in four years. China, which won the 2024 tournament, finished as runner-up after losing to South Korea. With their third overall title after victories in 2010 and 2022, South Korea once again proved itself as China's nemesis by thwarting the latter's ambition for a 17th title at every final stage.

The class of world No. 1 An Se-young shone brightly. As the singles player in the first match, An Se-young defeated world No. 2 Wang Zhi 2-0 (21-10, 21-13). An Se-young seized control of the match early by scoring seven consecutive points from the start of the first set, and in the second set, she neutralized her opponent with her characteristic mature game management.

An Se-young, who displayed flawless performance without dropping a single set from the group stage through the final, secured the first point in just 47 minutes of match time.

The second match faltered. The doubles pair of Jeong Na-eun and Lee So-hee lost to the Chinese pair of Liu Xing-shu and Tan Ning 0-2 (15-21, 12-21), leveling the match score.

In a critical moment, Kim Ga-eun (Samsung Life), who stepped in as the singles player for the third match, appeared as the savior. Her opponent was Chen Weifei, a 2010 London Olympic gold medalist and Kim Ga-eun's arch-rival, against whom she held a 1-8 head-to-head record.

Kim Ga-eun trailed 8-15 in the first set and seemed destined to lose, but with remarkable focus, she tied the score at 16-16 before staging a stunning comeback to win 21-19. Riding the momentum, she dominated the second set as well, scoring six consecutive points after a tight 15-15 tie to secure a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) victory.

With just one win needed to claim the title, the doubles pair of Baek Ha-na and Kim Hye-jeong, who played in the fourth match, put a period on the contest. Facing the Chinese pair of Zhai Pan and Zhang Shusen, the two players lost the first set 16-21, but from the second set onward, they displayed fantastic chemistry, turning the match around with a 21-10 win. In the decisive third set, they relentlessly exploited their opponents' errors, building an early 12-2 lead before concluding the 85th-minute battle with a 2-1 (16-21, 21-10, 21-13) comeback victory.

At the moment the final score was confirmed, An Se-young and the entire team, who had been anxiously watching from the bench, poured onto the court to celebrate reclaiming the throne for the first time in four years. In this tournament, South Korea defeated Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia in sequence to reach the final, and by overcoming the previous champion China, they achieved their third-ever title.

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*This content was translated by AI.