There is no off-season. Ahn Se-young (23, Samsung Life Insurance), who shook up the world of badminton, starts 2026 right away.
An official from the Korea Badminton Association announced the national team’s schedule for next week on the 26th. Ahn Se-young will leave Korea in the early morning of the 1st of next month to participate in the 2026 Malaysia Open hosted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). He plans to attend the upcoming India Open and enter the country on January 19th.
Seyoung Ahn won the women’s singles final at the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals held in Hangzhou, China on the 21st, defeating second place Wang Zhiyi with a game score of 2-1. It was the moment he reached the top for the 11th time in the 2025 season. Ahn Se-young set the record for the most wins in a single season by a singles player, and became the first player to exceed $1 million in prize money. Ahn Se-young, who won the ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ title three times in a row at the BWF Gala Dinner held prior to the opening of this tournament, is already called GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
Ahn Se-young had the best season of her career. The year-end break is as short as any other year. He will immediately rejoin the national team for the Malaysia Open, which will be held on the 6th of next month.
Unlike ball sports, badminton does not have a season break. Since Ahn Se-young has competed in 16 competitions in 2025, there are concerns about her physical strength declining.
However, Ahn Se-young runs without rest to write another history. The Malaysia Open held in January is the Super 1000 tournament with the highest prize money and ranking points. The Super 1000 competition is held 4 to 5 times per season. Ahn Se-young won the 2025 Malaysia Open, India Open, and All England Open, but withdrew from the China Open due to injury and was unable to sweep the Super 1000.
After reaching the top of the World Tour Finals, Ahn Se-young said, “I want to achieve every possible record.” In 2026, the first step will be taken towards the ‘Super 1000 Slam’. In addition, he plans to win the Malaysia Open and the India Open, in which he is competing as a ‘defending champion,’ and create good energy in January like 2025. The Malaysia Open aims for three consecutive wins starting in 2024.
The ‘Shuttlecock Empress’ is playing again. Attention is focused on Ahn Se-young’s 2026 race, which has gone beyond badminton and has become a representative Korean sports content.
Reporter Ahn Hee-soo anheesoo@edaily.co.kr
