Badminton world No. 1 An Se-young [Xinhua via Yonhap]
Badminton world No. 1 An Se-young [Xinhua via Yonhap]

Badminton queen An Se-young of Samsung Life has reclaimed the world championship title in a triumphant return from injury.

An, the world No. 1 in women's singles, defeated world No. 2 Yamaguchi Akane of Japan 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) in the women's singles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships, held Sunday in New Delhi, India, to claim the gold medal.

An made history at the 2023 Copenhagen championships by becoming the first Korean singles player to win the world title. Sunday's victory returned her to the top three years later.

The win carries added significance given that she was not in full physical condition due to a lingering injury — yet she did not drop a single game throughout the tournament, delivering a flawless run to the title.

An had briefly halted her dominant winning streak last month after complaining of pain in her left foot at the Japan Open, making this tournament her comeback after roughly a month away.

In the semifinals, An dispatched world No. 3 Wang Zhiyi of China to extend her commanding head-to-head record to 13 wins and one loss in their last 14 meetings. In the final, she kept her perfect run against defending champion Yamaguchi going — winning all six of their most recent matches — to cement her status as the undisputed best in the world.

Befitting a clash between the world's top two players, the final unfolded at a pace and intensity more reminiscent of men's doubles, with fast, aggressive rallies throughout.

After a tight opening exchange in the first game, An began to pull away with consecutive points from 7-7, taking an 11-8 lead into the interval.

At 15-15, Yamaguchi successfully challenged a line call to briefly take the lead, but that was as close as she would get.

With the score locked at 17-17, An sharpened her focus and swept the final four points to seize control of the first game.

Yamaguchi came out with renewed determination at the start of the second game, pushing hard to take an early lead.

An did not waver. Trailing 5-6, she turned the momentum with consecutive points and then unleashed her trademark sharp cross-court smash, reeling off four straight points from 7-7 to lead 11-7 at the interval.

After the break, Yamaguchi clawed back to within 11-10, but An calmly extended her lead to 16-11.

The highlight of the match was a breathtaking 33-shot rally that had the crowd on edge.

An absorbed a fierce barrage from Yamaguchi with brilliant defense before catching her off guard with a perfectly placed drop shot.

Maintaining a composed and controlled pace from start to finish, An dominated the court with ease and, at match point, forced an error from Yamaguchi to seal the victory in 49 minutes.


husn7@heraldcorp.com