An Se-young sets sights higher after record season

“We will return even stronger in 2026.”

An Se-young, 23, widely regarded as the queen of badminton, wrote on her social media account after winning the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals that she hopes to “break even more records next year.”

This season, An captured 11 titles, tying the all-time record for the most singles victories in a single year since the World Tour was launched in 2018, across both the men’s and women’s divisions. She also set multiple new benchmarks, including the highest singles winning percentage at 94.8 percent and the largest prize money total in singles at $1,003,175, or about 1.49 billion won. Even before the afterglow of her commanding season finale had fully faded, An made clear her determination to surpass her own accomplishments once again.

An’s first goal of the 2026 season is to defend her title at the Malaysia Open, a Super 1000 tournament that opens on Jan. 7. The Super 1000 category refers to four elite events on the Badminton World Federation calendar that rank just below the world championships in prestige. An won the Malaysia Open, the All England Open and the Indonesia Open in succession last year but withdrew from the semifinals of the China Open, the final Super 1000 tournament of the season, because of a knee injury. In 2026, she aims to become the first player in BWF World Tour history to sweep all Super 1000 titles.

She will then pursue a Grand Slam at the Asian Championships, which begin April 7. An won the world championships in Copenhagen in 2023, claimed gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games later that year and captured another gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year. If she also wins the Asian Championships, which serve as the continental championship, she would become only the second women’s singles player to complete a Grand Slam, following Spain’s Carolina Marin, 32. Among South Korean players, only three have achieved a Grand Slam, Park Joo-bong, Kim Moon-soo and Kim Dong-moon, all in men’s doubles.

Beginning Sept. 19, An will also defend her title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. A second consecutive victory would make her the first South Korean singles player, male or female, to win back-to-back Asian Games titles. “I am still a young player, so I believe I can produce even better results,” An said, expressing confidence in what lies ahead.. “My prime has not come yet."


김정훈 기자 hun@donga.com