Crowd favourite An Se-Young clinches her second title at BWF World Championships
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Crowd favourite An Se-Young clinches her second title at BWF World Championships")
An Se-Young after winning the singles title Photograph: (BAI / Paras Mendiratta)
An Se-young reclaimed the 2026 World Championship title, defeating Yamaguchi 2-0 without dropping a game after returning from a foot injury
The dignity of the world's strongest was on full display as 'Badminton Empress' An Se-young made a triumphant return from injury, clinching the 2026 BWF World Championships without dropping a single game. World no. 1 An Se-young defeated world no. 2 and defending champion Yamaguchi Akane of Japan in the women's singles final at Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi. She completed the 49-minute match with a commanding 2-0 victory, winning 21-17, 21-14.
The victory saw An Se-young return to the top of the World Championships podium three years after becoming the first Korean woman to win a women's singles world title at the 2023 Copenhagen championships. She went unbeaten in games from the round of 64 through the final to claim the second world championship gold medal of her career. An Se-young had already enjoyed a remarkable 2026 campaign. She won the Malaysia Open and Indonesia Open, both Super 1000 events, as well as the India Open and Singapore Open, both Super 750 tournaments. She then added the Asian Championships title in April, completing a career Grand Slam that includes the Asian Games, World Championships, Olympics and Asian Championships.
Her momentum was briefly interrupted by a left-foot injury. She withdrew from the Japan Open and did not compete at the China Open. Returning after approximately a month away, however, she immediately showed that her competitive edge remained intact.
On her comeback at the World Championships, An Se-young defeated China's Han Wei and Wang Zi Yi in successive rounds before overcoming Yamaguchi in the final, reaffirming her position at the top of women's badminton.
The latest victory also strengthened An Se-young's dominance over Yamaguchi. Her head-to-head record against the Japanese star now stands at 20 wins and 15 losses. She has won their last six meetings, establishing herself as a particularly difficult opponent for the defending champion. The opening game developed into a fierce contest. An Se-young held an 11-8 advantage at the interval, but Yamaguchi continued to apply pressure and eventually moved ahead 16-15.
An Se-young responded at precisely the right moment. Trailing 16-17, she produced five consecutive points through sharp half smashes and incisive attacking play, taking the first game 21-17. Yamaguchi started the second game strongly, taking the first three points. An Se-young quickly adjusted, using precise net play and her trademark defense to regain control. She moved ahead 7-6 and reached the interval with an 11-7 lead.
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Yamaguchi fought back to make it 11-10, but An Se-young remained composed through a series of demanding rallies. She stretched her advantage to 18-13, forcing Yamaguchi to expend more energy and gradually taking control of the match. An Se-young closed out the second game 21-14 to complete a straight-games victory. She celebrated the title by throwing her racket into the air in triumph.
The perfect comeback marks another major milestone in An Se-young's already historic season. After completing her September schedule at the China Masters, a Super 750 event, she is expected to turn her attention to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which begin on September 19. An Se-young will aim to defend her women's singles and team titles at the Asian Games and continue what has become one of the most dominant seasons in modern women's badminton.
