"Dominance that didn't yield a single game" An Se-young becomes 'public enemy' of the Asian Games... Chinese media wary, also acknowledges Korean strength: "Deep talent pool"

*This content was translated by AI.

'Badminton Empress' An Se-young (Samsung Life) has emerged as a 'public enemy' to competitors vying for the Asian Games gold medal, backed by her overwhelming match performance.

On the 8th (Korean time), China Sports Daily covered predictions for badminton at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and analyzed the strength of rival nations. In particular, it identified South Korea as a major contender in both women's singles and women's team events.

In women's singles, the wall Chinese players must overcome is An Se-young.

The media stated, "The competitive landscape for women's singles is clear. The main opponents Tian Weipei and Wang Zhiyi will face are South Korea's An Se-young."

An Se-young's momentum is formidable. Following the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships, she consecutively won two tournaments, including the BWF World Tour China Masters (Super 750), which concluded on the 6th.

Her path to victory was even more overwhelming. An Se-young achieved a 'perfect win' by not yielding a single game to her opponents at both the World Championships and the China Masters.

In the World Championships semi-finals, she defeated China's top badminton star Wang Zhiyi (world No. 2) with a 2-0 scoreline. In the final, she also beat Japan's Akane Yamaguchi (world No. 3) 2-0. At the China Masters final, she secured another 2-0 victory against another Japanese powerhouse Tomoka Miyazaki (world No. 9).

Through these results, An Se-young reclaimed the world championship title for the first time in three years and achieved a three-peat at the China Masters.

China Sports Daily also acknowledged An Se-young's overwhelming performance. The media evaluated, "World No. 1 An Se-young continues to lead women's badminton and demonstrated dominance by not yielding a single game at the World Championships." It is analyzed that China's top players must first find solutions to counter An Se-young if they are to challenge for gold.

An Se-young's focus now turns to the Asian Games. At the 2022 Hangzhou Games, she won gold medals in both women's singles and women's team events. If she reaches the top of women's singles again this time, she will become the first South Korean female player to achieve back-to-back Asian Games women's singles titles.

Even amidst high expectations from those around her, An Se-young is calmly preparing for the tournament.

Speaking at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team Media Day held on the 8th at the National Representative Athlete Village in Jincheon, Chungbuk, she said, "The Asian Games doesn't feel particularly special to me. I have participated in too many tournaments and played too many matches, so I consider it just another foreign competition."

She added, "If the Asian Games is special, it's because of Na Ra-reul (CEO) and the national anthem playing when stepping onto the podium. At this year's Asian Games, I will do my best to hear our national anthem again."

Compared to three years ago, she has accumulated more experience and composure. An Se-young explained, "Three years ago at Hangzhou, I lacked confidence in my play and didn't seem to enjoy it much. Now, with the experience and calmness I've gained, things have changed."

However, there is no room for complacency. She emphasized, "Every match, every player is a rival. You never know what problems might arise during a game. I believe we must always be prepared for everything. That's why I strive to prepare even more perfectly."

Chinese media attention did not stop at An Se-young alone. In the women's team event, they acknowledged the overall competitiveness of the entire South Korean national team.

China Sports Daily stated, "The women's team event continues to maintain a two-power dynamic between China and South Korea. The South Korean national team, centered around An Se-young, won the Uber Cup this year. At the World Championships, South Korea also secured gold medals in both women's singles and women's doubles."

It further praised, "The overall strength is solid, and the depth of the talent pool is evident to anyone." This evaluation recognizes not only An Se-young as a clear ace but also the team's competitiveness across both singles and doubles.

In women's doubles, South Korea was also identified as a major rival.

In particular, the Korean pair Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (both from Incheon International Airport) defeated China's duo Liu Xing-Shu-Tan Ning 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) in the women's doubles final at the World Championships to claim gold. This marked South Korea's first time reaching the top of women's doubles at the World Championships in 31 years.

China Sports Daily explained, "Doubles is a strength for Chinese badminton and a field where they are intensely targeting gold." At the same time, it analyzed that Chinese players must focus on countering South Korea's top pair Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee in women's doubles.

Thus, An Se-young's dominance in women's singles and South Korea's solid strength in the women's team event stand as obstacles before China's gold medal challenge.

The South Korean Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team, including An Se-young, will depart on the 17th and begin team events on the 20th. The men's and women's team finals are scheduled for the 24th, with individual events starting from the 25th.

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*This content was translated by AI.