'An Se-young without a title' is unimaginable; she takes on the challenge of making history as the first-ever women's singles champion at the AG with a fierce spirit.

*This content was translated by AI.

The attempt to win double crowns in two consecutive tournaments has been thwarted. However, the "world's strongest" women's singles event remains. After failing to secure a gold medal in the team competition, An Se-young (Samsung Life), now fueled by a fierce spirit, will challenge for Korea's badminton legacy.

An Se-young will compete in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games women's singles badminton tournament starting on the 26th at Ichinomiya Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The schedule includes round of 32 and round of 16 matches on this day, quarterfinals on the 27th, semifinals on the 28th, and the long-awaited final on the 29th.

As her record of 49 wins and 1 loss, with a winning percentage of 98% this season indicates, there is truly no rival. At this tournament, An Se-young took the lead as the first singles player in both the round of 16 and quarterfinals of the women's team competition, securing early victories. In the quarterfinal against Malaysia, she defeated Leachana Karupatheban in just 33 minutes. In the semifinal against Japan, she beat world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi 2-1 and roared in triumph.

Moreover, she enters the women's singles with a fierce spirit. An Se-young previously stated, "It's not something that can be achieved alone. It becomes even more special when we truly unite our efforts. This tournament feels bigger than ever, and I really want to win," expressing her strong desire for a gold medal in the team competition. However, the Korean badminton team was eliminated in the semifinals of the team event, settling for a bronze medal. Although An Se-young won her first singles match in the semifinals, she subsequently lost all three remaining matches consecutively.

An Se-young, who could not help but feel deep disappointment, stood up from her seat with a stern expression immediately after the team competition elimination was confirmed. As the first singles player, she fulfilled her duty and cheered for her teammates with all her might, yet her face was filled with regret over failing to achieve results. This is also why her determination for a gold medal in the women's singles event is particularly strong.

There are no rivals, nor any room for complacency. An Se-young holds an overwhelming advantage of 13 wins and 1 loss against world No. 2 Wang Zhi (China). She also leads with a perfect 8-0 record against third-ranked Yamaguchi. Recently, she has won four consecutive matches against fourth-ranked Chen Weiyi (China), who was once considered a difficult opponent. There is a high possibility they will meet again in the semifinals.

Taking advantage of home court, she may face Yamaguchi, who was her rival in the women's team competition. In fact, An Se-young lost the second game in the first singles match of the team event. For An Se-young, who had been maintaining a "perfect victory" without dropping a single game recently, conceding even one game was an unfamiliar experience. However, after losing the second game, she immediately dominated the third game against her opponent and shifted the momentum.

Shortly after winning against Yamaguchi, An Se-young said, "My opponent will grow stronger through this. I need to find areas for improvement from this match and demonstrate them in our next encounter if we meet again." This reflects her resolve not to become complacent. If An Se-young reaches the top of the women's singles tournament without any surprises, she will achieve back-to-back gold medals in the event, following her victory at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. Her name will be etched into history that even badminton legend Bang Soo-hyun could not accomplish.

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*This content was translated by AI.