Ahn Se-young Defeats Wang Ziyi: Chinese Media Reacts

[OSEN=정승우 기자] World No. 1 Ahn Se-young (23, Samsung Life Insurance) once again overwhelmed Wang Ziyi (China, World No. 2). The gap in performance was just like the numbers. Wang Ziyi suffered 7 consecutive losses and once again fell from the brink of victory, and both cynicism and criticism erupted in China.

Ahn Se-young defeated Wang Zhiyi 2-0 (21-13, 21-7) in the women’s singles final of the 2025 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 750 French Open held at the Sessong Sevigne Glaz Arena near Rennes, France on the 26th (Korean time).

The game was one-sided. They gave up a brief lead early in the first game, but soon took control of the game. Ahn Se-young, who was perfectly balanced in defense, induced mistakes from her opponent and easily won the first set. Game 2 was decided from the start. Ahn Se-young widened the gap by scoring consecutive points and never gave up the lead. The game lasted only 42 minutes.

As a result, Ahn Se-young won for the second week in a row following last week’s Denmark Open and reached the top for the ninth time in the season. She matched the record for most wins in women’s singles in a season (9) that she set last year. Ahn Se-young has lifted nine trophies this year, including Malaysia, India, All England, Indonesia, Japan, China, Denmark, and France.

A new history was also made in terms of prize money. He added $66,500 (about 92 million won) in prize money for winning the French Open, exceeding 1 billion won in cumulative prize money for the season. He is the first player in Korean badminton history to exceed 1 billion won in prize money in a single season. Cumulative career prize money exceeds 3 billion won.

After the game, Ahn Se-young said, “It’s a feeling that’s hard to express in words. I’m proud of myself, and faith was my best weapon.” BWF said, “Ahn Se-young is the first women’s singles player in the world tour era to win the French Open three times,” and added, “At the age of 23, she is already rewriting history.”

On the other hand, Wang Ziyi was once again blocked by Ahn Se-young’s wall. After losing 0-2 in the finals of the Denmark Open, he received the same result again just a week later. It was a ‘shutout’ defeat in two consecutive competitions.

After the game, Wang Zhiyi said, “I am very tired and exhausted. The final is always a big challenge. I will recover well.” I smiled at the podium and had a conversation with Ahn Se-young. However, Chinese fans expressed their dissatisfaction with this attitude.

Chinese media ‘NetEase’ pointed out, “Wang Ziyi completely collapsed in two finals in just one week. In Denmark, he lost 5-21 and this time 7-21. The sight of him smiling on the podium was a scene that was difficult for fans to understand.” Some fans criticized him for having “weak mentality,” “lack of physical training,” and “taking defeat for granted.”

On the other hand, some were wary of excessive criticism directed at Wang Ziyi. ‘Sina Sports’ said, “Wang Zhiyi’s smile was not resignation, but an expression of respect. After the game, Ahn Se-young was worried about Wang Zhiyi’s condition and even suggested dinner,” adding, “Wang Zhiyi is not just a loser, but a player who knows how to sincerely congratulate his opponent.”

After the match, Ahn Se-young left a message on her social media, “I won my third French Open title. Thank you Wang Zhiyi for playing with me. Next time, I will shoot dinner,” and finished with the composure of a winner. /[email protected]

Seungwoo Jeong ([email protected])