"You're making things really hard for me" — An Se-young also smiled at the "unrealistic" goal, yet the presence of this "queen" suggests she might actually achieve it [Ichinomiya on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

An Se-young (24, Samsung Life) has rewritten badminton history at the Asian Games. She achieved the first-ever women's singles double title in the tournament's history. Having won the gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou (China) Games, she once again stood atop the podium at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Games. This is a "great feat" that no female player has accomplished since badminton was officially adopted as an Asian Games event in 1962.

An Se-young crushed Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) 2-0 (21-17, 21-9) in the women's singles final held at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 29th. An Se-young is ranked world No. 1, while Yamaguchi is ranked No. 3. Although her bid for a consecutive double crown was thwarted after winning a bronze medal in the women's team event earlier, she still managed to secure the gold medal in women's singles, maintaining her status as the world's strongest player.

She was the most favored candidate even before the tournament began and actually reached the summit with the least resistance. With a record of 49 wins and 1 loss prior to the event, boasting an astonishing 98% win rate in women's singles, she competed as the first singles player in the team quarterfinals and semifinals, winning both matches. Furthermore, she won every match from the Round of 32 through to the final in the individual event. She went undefeated in all seven matches across the team and individual events at this tournament. The only exception was when she lost the second game to Yamaguchi in the first singles match of the team semifinals; the remaining six matches were all "no-games-lost" performances. Her individual campaign was a "perfect championship," winning every match from the Round of 32 to the final.

Winning every tournament she enters and recording an incredible win rate, it is no exaggeration to say she has "no rivals." At this tournament as well, she crushed Chen Yufei (China), who had once been her nemesis, in the semifinals, and defeated Yamaguchi, ranked world No. 3 and enjoying home advantage, in the final. Yamaguchi's post-match comment, "I shouldn't say it as a player that there was nothing I could do, but right now, I feel like I have no choice but to say so," offers a clear glimpse of An Se-young's overwhelming skill.

Naturally, curiosity about An Se-young's "next" step is bound to grow. She has won most tournaments, and there are no clear competitors who can threaten her position. An Se-young is first wary of arrogance and complacency. She said, "I think every tournament is a new game. I try to keep thinking of myself as a challenger at each event. I always want to win, and since it feels fresh every time, I believe that fuels my competitive drive."

Simply winning is not her only goal. She has set the goal of finishing a season with an undefeated record. However, having suffered one loss to world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi earlier this season, she has postponed achieving this goal to next season. An Se-young said, "Because I lost once, I wondered if '(an undefeated season) is impossible,' but if I stay injury-free and give my best until the very end, I think I might be able to achieve an undefeated championship (season) someday." Her record of 56 wins and 1 loss through today, with a staggering 98.2% win rate, aligns with An Se-young's confidence.

However, there is a goal that goes one step further. It is an "undefeated season with no games lost," surpassing just winning every match. When reporters mentioned such a record, An Se-young laughed, saying, "You're making things really hard for me." This is because achieving an undefeated record is difficult enough, but a record of not losing a single game seems like a truly "unrealistic" goal.

However, given An Se-young's recent momentum, it cannot be dismissed as merely an unrealistic record. She had already achieved perfect championships in two consecutive tournaments—the World Championships and the China Masters—just before the Asian Games. Although she lost one game to Yamaguchi in the first singles match of the team event, she also reached the top of the individual event at this tournament without losing a single game. So-called top-ranked players are failing to become her rivals, as she crushed world No. 3 Yamaguchi 21-9 in both games of the final and defeated No. 4 Chen Yufei 21-5 in the first game of the semifinal.

Naturally, a "perfect season," where she reaches the top of all tournaments without losing a single game, could become her new goal, surpassing her current aim of an "undefeated season." An Se-young even said, "I will be participating in many more tournaments from now on, and no one knows how much I will grow. That is what I look forward to most." This statement from the undisputed world's strongest player indicates that she is still growing and that her limits are unknown.

Similarly, while An Se-young laughed and said, "You're making things hard for me," regarding the record of no games lost in a season, she added, "I will try to challenge it." She added, "The process will be difficult, with many moments that are incredibly hard to endure, but I think there will be happiness at the end. I believe the process is ultimately about constantly challenging and driving oneself forward for that happiness."

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

*This content was translated by AI.