Ahn Se-young: Dominance, China & Badminton’s Toughest Test

[OSEN=강필주 기자] Ahn Se-young (23, Samsung Life Insurance) leaves Korea again before feeling the afterglow of her 11th championship. Even the Chinese media is showing concern over the world’s No. 1 player who is constantly on the court.

Chinese portal ‘Sohu’ reported on the 29th (Korean time), “Ahn Se-young, is she a machine? The victory banquet is not over yet. But she is already starting her overseas journey in 2026.”

Ahn Se-young won her 11th win of the season by defeating Wang Zhiyi (25, China) 2-1 in the women’s singles final of the ‘2025 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Final’, which ended last year.

With this win, Ahn Se-young not only tied the record for the most wins in a season, but also achieved the milestone of becoming the first player in badminton history to exceed $1 million in prize money in a single season.

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In particular, Ahn Se-young broke the record of 92.7% held by ‘legends’ Lin Dan (China) and Lee Chong-wei (Malaysia) with a season win rate of 94.8% (73 wins, 4 losses), an astonishing figure.

However, despite the dazzling finish, “Behind all these records, there are serious concerns about physical strength,” and even the Chinese media expressed concerns about the forced march, saying, “Let Ahn Se-young rest.”

Se-young Ahn returned to Korea on the 22nd, immediately after finishing the 2025 season. However, without sufficient rest, he departed through Incheon International Airport again on the 31st and competed in the Malaysia Open (Super 1000).

This is in accordance with the ‘top committed’ regulations as the world’s No. 1 player. BWF is forcing top ranked players like Ahn Se-young to participate in major tournaments. Unless there is an injury, it is difficult to refuse participation in the competition.

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Sohu explained, “Other people welcome the New Year with their families, but for Ahn Se-young, the New Year is just the beginning of another battle.” He added, “Both the Malaysian Open and the Indian Open are major tournaments where the world’s best players participate.”

He then expressed concern, saying, “If we make it to the finals, it will be a murderous schedule that will require us to play nearly 10 games in two weeks.” He also added, “Ahn Se-young has a defensive play style where he constantly moves and suffocates his opponent, so he is at greater risk of physical exhaustion and injury.”

To make matters worse, the matchups for the first competition of the new year are also close to the worst. According to the Malaysia Open bracket released by BWF, Ahn Se-young will meet world number 12 Michelle Lee (Canada) in the first match of the round of 32. The opponent’s record is superior with 8 wins, but physical exhaustion is expected to be inevitable.

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Seyoung Ahn is likely to face veteran Nozomi Okuhara (30th, Japan) in the round of 16. From then on, it is effectively a ‘Chinese version of a minefield.’ It is highly likely that Han Yue (5th place) will be waiting in the quarterfinals, Chen Yufei (4th place) in the semifinals, and Wang Ziyi (2nd place) in the finals.

After passing Canada and Japan, Ahn Se-young has to face the Chinese national team’s starting lineup in succession. How much stamina you can save could be the key to winning.

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Regarding her goal for 2026, Se-young Ahn said, “I am not satisfied with this, and I want to continue to break these records in the future. If I continue to work hard and do my best, I can achieve better results than this. My prime is when I play a perfect game. My prime has not yet come.”

Sohu reminded, “Currently, Ahn Se-young is facing several important tasks: achieving the Grand Slam by winning the Asian Championships in April, defending the Asian Games title in September, and reclaiming the World Championships title.”

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At the same time, he said, “It is natural for an athlete to have ambition. Ahn Se-young’s ambition of ‘wanting to become an undefeated athlete’ is an excellent attitude for a professional athlete,” but pointed out, “However, any machine is bound to break down if it is overloaded.”

He also emphasized the need for management, saying, “Ahn Se-young is already playing despite various injuries, including her knees. If the current schedule, which focuses only on winning and participating, continues, Ahn Se-young’s prime may end sooner than expected.”

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From the first competition of the new year to the final, the bracket where ‘every match is the final’ is no easy test even for the world’s No. 1 player. There are both expectations and concerns about what kind of performance Ahn Se-young will show in this year’s first competition. /[email protected]

Kang Pil-ju ([email protected])