An Se-young's stunning interview: "Winning? I don't think about it"... Unshakable mental fortitude despite being on the verge of a 50-match winning streak, 10th win of the season, and third consecutive tournament title

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

'Badminton Queen' An Se-young (Samsung Life) keeps her eyes fixed not on records, but solely on her next match. Despite having monumental achievements within reach, An was instead composed.

On the 24th (local time), at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour French Open (Super 750) women's singles semifinal held in Tremblay-en-France, France, An defeated Nozomi Okuhara (Japan, world No. 9) 2-0 (21-12, 21-19). It was a victory secured in just 45 minutes.

With this, An's record for the current season stands at 65 wins and 1 loss. Her winning percentage is an impressive 98.5%. She also maintained her absolute dominance with a perfect 7-0 record against Okuhara.

The first game was dominant. An did not relinquish control from the start, easily taking it 21-12.

In the second game, An faced a fierce comeback attempt from Okuhara. Leading 18-13, An conceded three consecutive points but immediately added to her score again, breaking her opponent's momentum. In the closing stages, she even induced errors from her opponent, securing her spot in the final within two games.

After the match, An reflected via the official French Open website, "Nozomi Okuhara pushed me to my limits, but I actually enjoyed it."

She added, "I thought it was okay to make mistakes. Above all, maintaining focus until the very end was important."

Despite having a historic record within reach, she showed no signs of wavering. When asked about 'winning,' An bluntly replied, "I am not thinking about it."

She then emphasized, "I will do my best, viewing tomorrow's match as a new challenge on the path I am walking."

Several of An's monumental records are at stake in this final.

First, An is aiming for her 10th title of the season. Except for her runner-up finish at the All England Open earlier this season, she has claimed the top spot in every individual tournament she has entered, including the Asian Games, delivering an overwhelming season.

A third consecutive French Open title is also within reach. An won this tournament in 2019, 2024, and 2025. If she reaches the summit again this time, she will achieve a three-year winning streak and stand atop the French Open for the fourth time in her career.

In addition, she can complete another record: a 50-match winning streak.

However, An herself was not swayed by the numbers. Rather than being conscious of the title and records, she clearly stated her intention to focus solely on the match at hand and her own play.

An's opponent in the final is P.V. Sindhu (world No. 11, India). Sindhu advanced to the final by defeating Hina Akechi (world No. 22, Japan) 2-1 (21-10, 20-22, 21-16) in the semifinal.

In their head-to-head record, An holds an overwhelming advantage. An has faced Sindhu 10 times so far and has never lost. This year alone, she defeated Sindhu at both the Indonesia Open and the Singapore Open.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original