*This content was translated by AI.
- Final showdown against Japan's Yamaguchi, ranked second globally Challenging for the third time and second world championship title after three years
Badminton women's singles 'world's strongest' An Se-young (24, Samsung Life) has advanced to the world championship final to challenge for the title. Winning just one more match in the final will see her reach the pinnacle of the world championships for the first time since 2023, three years later, and secure her second career world championship title.
An Se-young will compete in the final of the 2026 BWF World Championships to be held in New Delhi, India, starting at 4:30 p.m. Korean time on the 23rd. The finals are scheduled to proceed in the order of mixed doubles, women's doubles, men's singles, women's singles, and men's doubles. In addition to An Se-young competing in the women's singles final, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na (both from Incheon International Airport) will also compete in the women's doubles final.
An Se-young's opponent in the final is Yamaguchi Akane, ranked second globally. Although it is a showdown between the world's top two players, An Se-young has shown clear dominance over Yamaguchi with five consecutive victories recently. She even defeated Yamaguchi 2-0 in the final of the June 2026 BWF World Tour Super 1000 Indonesia Open.
Not only is she dominant, but An Se-young's momentum in this tournament has been incredibly steep. So far, from the round of 64 through to the semi-finals against Wang Zhiyi of China, she advanced to the final without dropping a single game. The semi-final against Wang Zhiyi lasted just over an hour, while all matches from the round of 64 to the quarterfinals were completed in around 40 minutes each.
Her momentum is even more formidable given that her physical condition is not yet at 100%, with pain still lingering. In fact, An Se-young withdrew mid-tournament at last month's Japan Open due to left foot pain. She then skipped the China Open entirely to focus on rehabilitation. However, she was highly motivated to compete in the world championships, which, along with the Olympics, is the most prestigious tournament in badminton. Even before departing for India, An Se-young stated, "My physical condition has improved significantly," but added, "I can manage and control it, but I am not at a level where there is no pain at all."
Despite this, she advanced to the final without dropping a single game, making the description 'amazing' entirely appropriate. An Se-young now faces only the final hurdle. She made history in 2023 at the world championships held in Denmark by becoming the first Korean woman to win the women's singles title. Although she was eliminated in the semifinals last year, leaving her with regrets, she aims to reclaim the top spot this time. The 'great achievement' of winning a second world championship title just three years after her first victory is now within reach.
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*This content was translated by AI.
