Korean badminton had its best year on the world stage this year thanks to the brilliant performances of Ahn Se-young (23) in women’s singles and Seung-jae Seo (28) and Won-ho Kim (26, Samsung Life Insurance) in men’s doubles. Ahn Se-young, Seo Seung-jae, and Kim Won-ho, who are ranked No. 1 in the world in their respective categories, are preparing for the coronation ceremony with only the ‘2025 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour Finals’ remaining, which opens in Hangzhou, China on the 17th.
In Korea, Ahn Se-young’s international championships have received more attention, starting with winning the women’s singles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, looking at the number of tour wins this season, Seo Seung-jae has won 11 times and is more than Ahn Se-young, who lifted the 10th trophy of the season by winning the Australian Open (Super 500) on the 23rd of last month.
BWF, which organizes the world tour, confirmed on the 15th in response to an inquiry from the Seoul Shinmun regarding this, “Seung-jae Seo has already won 11 times this year, tying with Momota for the record for most wins in a single season.” BWF explained, “In doubles, even if partners change in a season, all wins won by that player are added up and recognized as a single season winning record.”
Previously, Seo Seung-jae reunited with Kim Won-ho, with whom he played doubles in 2017 and 2018, at the end of last year, and together they reached the top of 10 tournaments this season, starting with winning the Malaysia Open (Super 1000) in January, which was the first tournament on the tour this season, and ending with the Japan Masters (Super 500), which ended on the 16th.
The two teamed up to win the World Championships, three Super 1000 series (Malaysia Open, All England Open, Indonesia Open), three Super 750 series (Japan Open, China Masters, French Open), two Super 500 series (Korea Open, Japan Masters), and the German Open, a Super 300 competition.
In addition, Seo Seung-jae won the Thailand Masters (Super 300) held together with Jin Yong (22, Yonex) last February, adding to his 10 wins with Kim Won-ho and reaching the summit 11 times. If he wins the Hangzhou Finals, he will surpass Momota’s record and set the record for most wins in a single season at 12.
However, the BWF’s single-season championship record is from 2018, when the current six-tier tour system was introduced. Going back to the days of the IBF (International Badminton Federation), Chinese badminton legend Ge Fei won a total of 18 times in women’s doubles and mixed doubles in 1997.
enlarge image
Badminton men’s doubles Kim Won-ho (left) and Seo Seung-jae are cheering on the court immediately after winning the final of the Japan Masters (Super 500) held at the Kumamoto General Gymnasium in Japan on the 16th. Provided by Korea Badminton Association
enlarge image
Badminton men’s doubles world No. 1 Won-ho Kim (left) and Seung-jae Seo are giving a high five after confirming their victory in the final of the 2025 World Individual Championships held in Paris, France on the 1st (Korean time). Paris EPA Yonhap News
enlarge image
Badminton interview with Seungjae Seo and Wonho Kim. 2025.9.3 Reporter Oh Jang-hwan
enlarge image
BWF response email confirming Seungjae Seo’s 11th win in the 2025 season.
Reporter Park Seong-guk
Copyright ⓒ Seoul Newspaper All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution, AI learning and use prohibited.
