*This content was translated by AI.
Badminton queen An Se-young (Samsung Life) has returned to the top of the world after recovering from injury.
World No. 1 An Se-young defeated Japan's Akane Yamaguchi, ranked second in the world, with a score of 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) in the women's singles final of the 2026 BWF World Championships held in New Delhi, India, on the 23rd (Korean time), securing the championship.
The victory was not only a title win but also a clash of pride between the world's top two ranked players. In particular, Yamaguchi is the defending champion who won last year's World Championships and has claimed this tournament three times, making her a formidable global competitor.
But on this day, she could not match An Se-young.
The first game was intense until midway through. An Se-young and Yamaguchi were locked at 15-15. However, An Se-young's concentration shone in the decisive moments. With persistent defense and steady court management, she unsettled her opponent, built a lead, and ultimately won the first game.
In the second game, An Se-young's momentum was even more evident. Although Yamaguchi took an early lead, An Se-young quickly turned the tide. She then maintained flawless performance, extended her lead, and sealed the match with a seven-point margin.
China also highly praised An Se-young's overwhelming performance. On this day, China's Sina.com stated, "An Se-young won very easily in this final," adding that she was superior to Yamaguchi in every aspect, including technique, tactics, physical condition, movement, and rally ability.
It further emphasized, "Although it was a matchup between the world's top two ranked players, the match was one-sided."
This championship victory by An Se-young is even more special. This World Championships marked her return to competition after about a month of injury recovery. Last month, she withdrew from the 2026 BWF Japan Open round of 16 due to pain on the outer side of her left foot before the match. She then focused entirely on rehabilitation and recovery without participating in the China Open either.
Although there were concerns about her lack of competitive play, she returned to the court with overwhelming performance.
Earlier, An Se-young began her comeback strongly by defeating Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova 2-0 in the round of 64. In the round of 32, she dominated Indonesia's Talitha Ramadani Wirawan 2-0, and in the round of 16, she achieved a clean 2-0 victory against Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt.
Even as stronger opponents emerged, nothing changed. In the quarterfinals, An Se-young defeated China's Han Wei, ranked fifth in the world, with a 2-0 scoreline. In the semifinals, she faced Wang Zhiyi, the star of Chinese women's singles and third-ranked globally, but the result was once again a 2-0 victory for An Se-young. In the final, she even subdued the second-ranked Yamaguchi without dropping a single game.
Media outlets also remarked, "An Se-young's path to victory in this tournament was overwhelming," and marveled that "no match went to three games."
With this victory, An Se-young successfully reclaimed the world championship title after three years. After winning a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships, she first reached the top in 2023 and established herself as the world's strongest player. Last year's tournament saw her lose to China's Chen Yufei in the semifinals, settling for bronze, but this year she returned to the highest position once again.
She also set a new milestone in Korean badminton history. An Se-young became the first Korean player to win the women's singles title at the World Championships twice.
Sina.com also highlighted this record, stating, "The protagonist behind this achievement is world No. 1 An Se-young," offering high praise.
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*This content was translated by AI.
