'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's (24, Samsung Life) legendary record continues to be written. 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.

South Korea, which stood atop the tournament in 2022, 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. Having lifted the championship cup for the third time in history, following victories in 2010 and 2022, South Korea once again proved itself as China's nemesis by thwarting the latter's ambition for its 17th title at every final stage.

The class of world No. 1 An Se-young shone brightly. An Se-young, competing as the singles player in the first match, defeated world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi 2-0 (21-10, 21-13). From the start of the first set, An Se-young scored seven consecutive points to seize control of the match early, and in the second set, she neutralized her opponent with her characteristic mature game management.

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

The second match faltered. The doubles pair of Jeong Na-eun and Lee So-hee lost to the Chinese pair of Liu Xingshu and Tan Ning 0-2 (15-21, 12-21), returning the match to a 1-1 tie.

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 Weiyi, a 2010 London Olympic gold medalist and Kim Ga-eun's arch-rival, against whom she held a record of one win and eight losses.

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 also won the second set 21-15 after a tight contest that reached 15-15, scoring six consecutive points to secure a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) victory.

With just one victory needed to claim the title, the doubles pair of Baek Ha-na and Kim Hye-jeong, who competed in the fourth match, put the final period on the match. 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 final third set, they relentlessly exploited their opponents' mistakes, building an early 12-2 lead before concluding the 85th-minute intense 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 succession to reach the final, and by overcoming the previous tournament champion China, they achieved their third title in history.

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*This content was translated by AI.