An Se-young's challenge is not yet over, with two new records still within reach... Aiming for 60 consecutive wins to surpass the legendary 59-win streak, and even eyeing an unprecedented 12th title of the season

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Korean badminton "Queen" An Se-young (Samsung Life) reached the top of the Korea Open, achieving the remarkable feat of 11 wins in a single season for the second consecutive year. However, An's challenge is far from over.

World No. 1 An Se-young defeated World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) 2-1 (21-12, 15-21, 21-16) in the women's singles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Korea Open (Super 500), held on the 8th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, to claim the title.

With this victory, An successfully reclaimed the top spot at the Korea Open for the first time in three years since 2023. Adding her first title in 2022, this marks her third overall championship at the tournament. She also washed away the regret of finishing as runner-up last year after losing to Yamaguchi in the final.

The path to victory was not easy. An took the first game 21-12 but fell 15-21 in the second game against Yamaguchi's counterattack. However, she refocused her concentration in the decisive third game, winning 21-16 to seal the championship.

An's performance this season has been truly overwhelming. With this Korea Open title, she set a historic record by becoming the first player in badminton history to win 11 titles in a single season for two consecutive years. She once again tied the record for the most singles titles in a single season, previously set by Japan's Kento Momota in 2019 and achieved by herself last year.

Her results this year are also astonishing. An has played 72 matches this season, recording an impressive 71 wins with only one loss. Her win rate stands at 98.6%.

Since losing to Wang Zhiyi (China) in the final of the All England Open in March last year, she has been on a 55-match winning streak. She also extended her winning streak against Yamaguchi to 11 matches, improving their head-to-head record to 25 wins and 15 losses.

Yet, despite setting such incredible records, An still has the opportunity to challenge two new milestones.

Taiwan's Liberty Times reported that "the invincible Queen An Se-young is targeting Susi Susanti's women's singles record for the most consecutive wins," adding that "she will aim for the first-ever 12th title of a season at the year-end Finals."

The outlet emphasized, "An Se-young, whom no one can stop, has the potential to set two new astonishing records this year."

First is the record for the most consecutive wins in women's singles. Susanti, the gold medalist in women's singles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, is a legendary figure representing world badminton. Previously, Susanti recorded 59 consecutive wins in women's singles from 1993 to 1994.

An needs just four more victories to match this record. With one additional win, she will reach 60 consecutive wins, surpassing even Susanti's mark.

Another goal is the first-ever 12th title in a single season. An achieved 11 titles last year by winning the BWF World Tour Finals, the final tournament of the season, in December. However, this year she has already lifted 11 championship trophies as early as November.

If she reaches the top once more at a remaining tournament, she will surpass the record for the most singles titles in a single season, currently shared with Momota and herself, to achieve the first-ever 12th title of a season.

An is expected to take a break for now to regroup. Considering accumulated fatigue, it is known that she will not participate in the Kumamoto Masters in Japan or the Hong Kong Open. Instead, she plans to focus on the BWF World Tour Finals, scheduled to be held from December 9 to 13 in Hangzhou, China.

If An maintains her upward momentum, she can extend her record from the current 55 consecutive wins to 60 while also achieving her 12th title of the season.

Of course, as a tournament gathering top players from around the world, it is not an easy challenge. In particular, An has been facing significant physical strain after competing in numerous tournaments this season. Indeed, she even considered whether to participate in this Korea Open due to fatigue.

However, she decided to play in front of domestic fans and ultimately claimed victory despite various setbacks.

The Liberty Times also noted that while "An Se-young is not particularly thinking about breaking records," she stated that "she wants to properly demonstrate her skills and performance at the next tournament as well," expressing expectations for new records.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original