▲ Ahn Se-young, who has achieved a legendary winning percentage and 11 wins in the season, continues to evolve. As a result of rejecting the stereotype of a defensive player, overcoming the limitations of injuries, and constantly upgrading, the flawless player we have today was born. ⓒYonhap News
[스포티비뉴스=조용운 기자] Ahn Se-young (24, Samsung Life Insurance), who is taking over the world of badminton, will challenge herself to a higher level in 2026. Beyond simply maintaining the top spot, the goal is to win the season, something no one has ever done before.
A bolder ambition than the relief of victory came out of the mouth of Ahn Se-young, who defeated Michelle Lee (12th, Canada) 2-1 in the round of 32 of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 1000 Malaysia Open held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 6th.
For Ahn Se-young, 2025 was a dream-like time. He achieved 11 championships, tying the record for the most wins in a BWF single season, and reigned as an absolute champion by recording an incredible win rate of 73 wins, 4 losses, and 94.8% throughout the year. He is also the person who opened the era of cumulative prize money of $1 million (approximately KRW 1.4485 billion) in a single season for the first time in badminton history.
The prevailing opinion is that everything that could be achieved has already been achieved, but Ahn Se-young’s eyes were already looking beyond that. Ahn Se-young, who said she wanted to show the same performance as male athletes by the end of 2025, set a realistic standard.
After defeating Michelle Lee, Ahn Se-young declared, “My ultimate goal this year is to be undefeated.” Even though they achieved an unrealistic winning rate of 94.8% last year, they were not satisfied. Of course, I know very well how reckless this goal is.
Ahn Se-young lost the first game to Michelle Lee and fought a fierce battle for 75 minutes. Although he successfully made a comeback by showing the power of the world’s No. 1 player, he even laughed at himself, saying, “If you look at the content of today’s game, the goal of being undefeated may seem impossible.”
▲ Concerns are growing about the 2026 season schedule surrounding Ahn Se-young, who has reached the top of the world. As a hectic race was scheduled from the beginning of the new year, overseas media directly pointed out the ‘overload’ problem. ⓒYonhap News/AFP
However, Ahn Se-young did not stop whipping herself, saying, “If the season progresses in earnest and she finds her condition, she might be able to do it.”
The round of 32 on this day was a series of hardships that showed that Ahn Se-young’s condition was not normal. Because the fatigue accumulated during the off-season had not gone away, my body felt heavy and I made more frequent mistakes than usual. Ahn Se-young honestly confessed, “I still have some fatigue from the last competition, so I need time to fully recover.”
Ahn Se-young, who overcame heavy footwork with mental strength, decided to use the stronger resistance of her opponents as motivation to become more aggressive. “Many players will target me and challenge me, but that pressure actually gives me the strength to win,” he explained.
▲ These overwhelming indicators set by Ahn Se-young in 2025 will remain a sanctuary that no one can dare to surpass for the time being. The golden age of Ahn Se-young, who is rewriting the definition of badminton by erasing the names of legends one by one, has just begun. ⓒ Yonhap News/AFP
Since it is Ahn Se-young who declares that he is undefeated in a season where he is once again challenging his limits, he can at least set that as a goal. The tenacity that led to a come-from-behind victory after a bloody 75-minute battle and the mental strength to overcome fatigue were enough to dampen the spirit of the competitors.
Ahn Se-young, who is trying to win the Malaysia Open for the third consecutive year, will play Nozomi Okuhara (30th, Japan) in the round of 16 at 10 am on the 8th. Ahn Se-young’s journey through the thorny path will be broadcast live on sports TV channel SPOTV Prime and sports OTT service SPOTV Now.
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