"Even in a match of a lifetime, An Se-young cannot be beaten..." Foreign media stunned, showering praise on the undisputed 'GOAT'

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Foreign media were left astonished by the resilience of the 'Empress of Badminton,' who had been pushed to the brink. Even the home country's media of her opponent are pouring praise on An Se-young (24, Samsung Life)'s dramatic comeback victory.

The Indian outlet "Indian Express" reported on the 26th (Korean time), "Pusarla V. Sindhu fought bravely, but An Se-young's body smash, a feat one might expect only once in a generation, ultimately swallowed everything."

The outlet continued, "Sindhu may have been able to press An Se-young hard, but she could not silence the greatness possessed by the Korean. There is inevitability about An Se-young, the most dominant player of this era across men's and women's singles and doubles. Whether every match is routine or dramatic, the ultimate victor who stands at the end is always An Se-young," heaping praise on her dominance.

World No. 1 An Se-young secured a comeback victory over World No. 11 Sindhu with a set score of 2-1 (16-21, 21-11, 21-12) in the women's singles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour French Open (Super 750), held in Paris, France, on the 25th.

This marked her third consecutive title at the tournament, following wins in 2024 and 2025, and her fourth overall French Open crown. Additionally, she achieved five consecutive titles across the World Championships, China Masters, Asian Games, and Denmark Open, along with 10 season victories. She also built a golden tower of 50 consecutive wins since her defeat in the All England Open final last March. Her total number of titles increased to 48, rewriting the all-time record for most wins that she herself had set, as she continued her monstrous run of 66 wins and 1 loss (98.5% win rate) in 67 matches this season.

The final that day began with Sindhu's meticulous tactics. "Indian Express" explained, "Sindhu's game plan was perfect geometry. She kept An Se-young, who had recorded only one loss this season, running along the longest and most painful diagonal on the court."

Indeed, Sindhu used precise net play leveraging her long arms and sharp drop shots to draw An Se-young into the front corners before employing a strategy of piercing the opposite side of the court to tie down An's feet. An Se-young herself admitted after the match how tough it was, stating, "Sindhu was very strong and aggressive. In the first set, my opponent pressed me hard, so I focused on defense, and in the second set, I tried not to rush," as she dropped the first set 16-21.

However, at the moment of crisis, An Se-young's adaptability and class exploded. The outlet was amazed, noting, "Although Sindhu shook her with unconventional tactics, An Se-young, having shaken off the shock, immediately elevated her performance to a completely different dimension and ruthlessly crushed Sindhu's resistance."

The decisive weapon that decided the match was consecutive smashes. The outlet highlighted the technical superiority, stating, "The secret to completing an 11-0 all-time record against Sindhu was a dignified smash connected by a 1-2 combination," and added, "An Se-young blasted a strong shot to Sindhu's left side to force a backhand, then took advantage of the slowed reaction time to immediately drive a lightning-fast body smash, disarming and dominating her opponent."

After easily taking the second set 21-11 to level the score, An Se-young displayed dazzling concentration even in the tight 8-8 situation in the final third set, quickly widening the gap to conclude the 61st-minute battle with a 21-12 victory. Once the win was secured, An Se-young roared and performed a ceremony of placing a crown on her own head, showcasing the dignity of an empress.

"Indian Express" shook its head in admiration, stating, "Sindhu played the match of her life against the world's best player, but the mental and technical wall was too high to defeat NanGong Bul-rak-ui (여왕), who picked up a crown herself to hold her coronation."

Another local outlet, "India Today," also acknowledged the complete defeat, stating, "Sindhu fought desperately to reach a position where she could win, but An Se-young's outstanding skill was simply too much to handle."

An Se-young, who swept both legs of her European two-stand and wrote a new myth with the all-time most wins, will return home in triumph through Incheon International Airport on the 27th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original