"How can I possibly beat you?" Chinese player Wang Zhi asked An Se-young directly... The answer returned was "a secret"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"How exactly can I beat you?"

This question showcased the dignity of 'Badminton Empress' An Se-young (Samsung Life). Wang Zhi, a world-class player and China's badminton star, personally asked An Se-young for her "strategy."

China's Sohu.com reported on the 24th (Korean time): "Badminton is not just about fierce competition. There is also special friendship among top players who respect and acknowledge each other." It added that after An Se-young won, a very interesting and heartwarming scene unfolded.

Earlier, world No. 1 An Se-young defeated world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) 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 to claim the title.

With this victory, An Se-young successfully reclaimed the world championship title for the first time in three years. After winning a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships, An Se-young first reached the top spot in 2023 and established herself as the world's strongest player. At last year's tournament, she lost to China's Chen Yufei in the semifinals and had to settle for bronze, but this year she returned to the highest position once again.

This 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.

After An Se-young's victory, a special scene unfolded. Wang Zhi, who had faced An Se-young in the semifinals, transformed into an "on-the-spot reporter" and interviewed her. The two players exchanged words in English from start to finish.

Wang Zhi prepared three questions. Her first question was: "What was your maximum heart rate during our match?"

An Se-young displayed overwhelming performance throughout this tournament. She started strongly by defeating Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova 2-0 in the round of 64, then dominated Indonesia's Talitha Ramadhani Wirawan 2-0 in the round of 32. In the round of 16, she did not even drop a single game against Denmark's Mia Blixtfelt.

Even as stronger opponents emerged, she remained unshaken. She defeated China's Han Wei (world No. 5) 2-0 in the quarterfinals and overcame Wang Zhi (world No. 3) 2-0 in the semifinals. In the final, she did not allow a single game to world No. 2 Yamaguchi.

When asked about her heart rate during their match, An Se-young replied: "My maximum heart rate reached 194."

Although she appeared calm throughout the match, An Se-young actually faced Wang Zhi under extreme tension and physical strain. Yet, she continued to perform excellently without any sign of wavering.

Sohu.com stated: "An Se-young's answer was surprising." It explained: "The number reflects how intense their match was. It means that every point was fought with full effort, pushing physical limits to the highest level. This is the standard of world-class badminton matches."

Wang Zhi's second question was about An Se-young's secret to recovery.

When asked what she eats to recover physically after a match, An Se-young answered: "White rice and chicken."

The media reported: "Even Wang Zhi found An Se-young's simple answer hard to believe and double-checked it. She seemed surprised that the recovery secret of a world-class player was really just that."

The highlight came with the final question. Wang Zhi boldly asked An Se-young: "How can I beat you?"

Caught off guard by the direct question, An Se-young burst into laughter. After a brief pause, her initial response was: "It's a secret."

But soon she offered her own answer. An Se-young said: "I always want to win in matches, so I train even harder." Her reply emphasized that only repeated effort and training can create top-level skill.

Sohu.com noted: "Although An Se-young and Wang Zhi competed fiercely on the court without yielding an inch, the atmosphere completely changed after the match." It added: "Having set aside the weight of being world-class players, the two quickly transformed into playful ordinary girls, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere."

It continued: "An Se-young's gentle and approachable demeanor off the court also received positive reactions. There was no authoritarian attitude befitting a world champion." It concluded: "An Se-young and Wang Zhi are rivals who pour everything into their matches on the court, but off the court, they are friends who encourage each other."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original