Interview with ‘Badminton Empress’ Ahn Se-young, born in 2002
11 wins in BWF competitions last year
Record for most wins in a single season
Constantly researching to win
Train until you feel perfect
“For pushing me to the limit
“I will surpass my limits once again.”
Although he won 11 championships in 2025 and recorded a winning rate of 94.8% (73 wins, 4 losses), there is one player who is more expected in 2026. This is Ahn Se-young, the ‘Badminton Empress’ who continues to improve every year by pushing herself to the limit as if she does not know the meaning of the word satisfaction. Born in 2002, the Year of the Horse, he is preparing fiercely with the determination to reach his peak in Byeong-5 (丙午年), the Year of the Red Horse.
In a recent written interview with Maeil Business Newspaper, Ahn Se-young said, “I hope everything goes smoothly in the new year,” and “I plan to pour everything in this year so that it can be a year with no regrets.”
Ahn Se-young, who first wore the Taegeuk symbol in 2017 at the age of 15, began making her name known on the world stage in 2019. She won the Rookie of the Year Award by winning 5 times in competitions organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), and rose to 9th place in the women’s singles world rankings.
Afterwards, the growth rate became even steeper. In 2023, she became the first Korean player to reach the top of the world rankings by winning 9 times in the BWF, including the World Championships, becoming number 1 in the women’s singles world rankings. He also won a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, raising the status of Korean badminton.
Ahn Se-young, who won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, rewrote badminton history last year. He reached the top 11 times, tying the BWF record for most wins in a single season, and won $1,003,175 in prize money alone. Ahn Se-young is the first male and female player to exceed $1 million in prize money in a season.
Ahn Se-young recalled the time, saying, “I did my best in every competition without giving up, and last year I achieved unbelievable results. When I achieved 11 wins in the season, I was so happy that I couldn’t express it in words.”
In becoming the best in the world, constant evolution and an open attitude to accept anything that you think will help your performance have played a key role. He explained, “We have to continue to evolve in order to survive in the competition that gets fiercer every year. Change is sometimes scary, but we want to do better so we keep trying new things.”
He added, “There is no end to learning. To get better, you have to think and study. I want to win more games, so I am not neglecting to make my competitors’ strengths my own. My mindset to learn will not change in the future.”
Ahn Se-young, who until 2022 was a half-decent player who was only good at defense, became a flawless player thanks to his desire for development. Gil Young-ah, coach of the Samsung Life Insurance badminton team, who has been teaching Ahn Se-young since 2020, said, “Ahn Se-young’s amount of practice is so great that the instructor discourages training rather than recommending it. He practiced it for over three years to strengthen his offensive abilities, including smashing, which was considered a weak point. It is not easy to change old habits, but Ahn Se-young worked hard to change from swinging with only his arms with his right armpit together to swinging using his entire right shoulder. “It was a success,” he said.
Ahn Se-young won 11 wins out of 15 BWF competitions last year and received the highest praise, saying that she has no opponent. As the report card you receive will vary depending on how you prepare, Ahn Se-young plans to undergo intense training again this year.
Ahn Se-young raised her voice, saying, “You have to prepare until you think it’s perfect to be able to compete comfortably. Confidence is created through thorough preparation.”
Ahn Se-young’s challenge, which has revealed her desire to compete with male athletes, continues. He pledged, “I have reached the top several times, but I have never been satisfied with my performance. My prime has not yet arrived and I have faith that I can do better in the future. I will win the battle against myself and overcome my limits again.”
Ahn Se-young, who does not take the joy of winning for more than a day, has already forgotten the emotion of last year and is starting a new starting point. He will board a plane at 10:10 on New Year’s Day to participate in the BWF Super 1000 Malaysia Open and immediately begin his schedule for the 2026 season.
Ahn Se-young, who unfortunately withdrew from the China Open last year due to an injury, will challenge for the Super 1000 Slam this year by winning all four competitions in the Super 1000 series. Another coveted record is two consecutive wins in the Asian Games. If she wins the women’s singles title at the Aichi Nagoya Games in September, Ahn Se-young will become the first Korean badminton player to win two consecutive titles.
Ahn Se-young revealed her solemn determination to courageously overcome any adversity that comes her way. “When the game doesn’t go as well as I wanted and I make mistakes, I spend a day thinking deeply about it. After that, I ask myself questions. Based on the conclusions I come to at this time, I try to solve the problem. Just like I did before, I will try to challenge myself this time as well.”
