Ahn Se-young: Leg Pain Threatens World No.1’s Tournament Run

Year-end interview with ‘Badminton Empress’
When you achieve the most wins, it feels like something has been blocked… Do your best every day and eventually your dream will come true
I like drinking tea in nature… End the year with a week of rest
Build your body to break records in the new year… Challenge the Grand Slam Championship in April

“I prayed to my body. Please let me hold on to just one point.”

‘Badminton Empress’ Ahn Se-young (23) recalled the situation where ‘championship point’ was left in the women’s singles final of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals held in Hangzhou, China on the 21st.

At that time, Ahn Se-young was ahead 20-10 over Wang Ziyi (China, 2nd place) in the 3rd set with a set score of 1-1. However, the game was stopped for a while when Ahn Se-young complained of left thigh pain. Since the introduction of the BWF World Tour (2018), Kento Momota (31, Japan, male) was only one point away from tying the record for the most singles wins (11), set by only one person, when he developed a cramp in his left leg.

Ahn Se-young, who responded to a written interview with Dong-A Ilbo on the 29th, said, “Ahead of the competition, the thought of ‘I have to do it no matter what’ was very difficult for me. I was worried so much that I couldn’t sleep well. As the match progressed to a close match, I ran a lot and my legs got cramps. I prayed and prayed to my body that I could hold on to just one point.” In the end, Ahn Se-young was able to achieve a great record by winning the last point with all her might.

● “If you do your best every day, your dreams will come true.”

Ahn Se-young drew a new mark in badminton history with her win that day. She tied the record for the most wins among men and women and finished the season ranked first in women’s singles for three consecutive years. In addition, he set the record for the highest season winning percentage in World Tour history (94.8%) and became the first singles player to exceed $1 million in season prize money (approximately KRW 1.43 billion). Throughout 2025, when many sports stars emerged, Ahn Se-young was the brightest star. Ahn Se-young, who had her first interview with the domestic media after returning home on the 22nd, said, “I can’t express it in words. It felt like something that had been ‘closed’ in my heart was bursting out. I was able to set many records through this competition, so I think it will be truly memorable.”

Ahn Se-young is the first woman to reach 10 wins in a season in women’s singles. She said, “I was happy when I achieved 10 wins for the first time as a female singles player, but I didn’t think much and just thought about playing each match without regrets. That’s how I lived my best every day. It was a year where I was once again surprised by the fact that the things I dreamed of could come true.”

● Welcoming the New Year on an airplane Every time Ahn Se-young set a new record this year, she decided, “Let’s enjoy it for just one day.” Since there was a season left and a long way to go, I focused on practice and competitions with a new mindset.

Ahn Se-young, who had a spectacular finale by winning the World Tour Finals, said, “I was very tired, so I rested for about a week at the end of the year. I used to stop by a quiet cafe to get emotional and relax,” and added, “I like to drink tea while looking at nature without thinking about anything in a quiet place without people.”

After a short break, he starts the new year faster than anyone else to set a new record for the 2026 season. The Korean badminton team, including Ahn Se-young, will board a plane at 0:10 on January 1st of the new year and head to Malaysia. This is to defend the BWF World Tour Malaysia Open (Super 1000) title. Ahn Se-young, who won three of the four Super 1000 tournaments this year and had to withdraw from the last tournament, the semifinals of the China Open, due to knee pain, will challenge again for the first ‘Super 1000 Slam’ in BWF history this year. Ahn Se-young said, “I slipped in the semifinals of the China Open and the pain got worse, so I had no choice but to give up. I plan to get good results through more basic preparation for the Malaysia Open, which opens the 2026 season. After this tournament, I plan to reorganize and prepare my body for another record.”

● 2026 as ‘my year’

Immediately after winning the World Tour Finals, Ahn Se-young left a message on her Instagram saying, “I want to break more records next year.” In addition to the Super 1000 Slam, Ahn Se-young will challenge to achieve the ‘Grand Slam’ at the Asian Championships, which opens on April 7 next year. Ahn Se-young won the 2023 World Championships and Asian Games and also won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If she wins the Asian Championship, she will become the second women’s singles player to achieve a grand slam, following Carolina Marin (32, Spain). Among Korean female players, no player has succeeded in a Grand Slam.

Se-young Ahn said, “I am greedy, but I am thinking that it is ‘just the same game.’ I think that for good results, you have to start practicing without regrets. I will practice steadily with the mindset of doing my best every day to make it perfect.” They will seek the title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will be held from September 19th. If Ahn Se-young wins this competition, she will become the first Korean singles player to win two consecutive Asian Games titles in both men’s and women’s divisions. Seyoung Ahn said, “My goal is to achieve good results in both the team and individual games at the Asian Games.”

The competition that Se-young Ahn is most eagerly waiting for is the World Championships, which will be held in India from August 17th. Ahn Se-young, who made history by becoming the first Korean singles player to reach the top of this competition in 2023, was eliminated in the semifinals last year and failed to win two consecutive championships. Se-young Ahn expressed her determination, saying, “I want to achieve good results at the World Championships and create another new milestone in the history of Korean badminton.”