Ahn Se-young: World No.1 Badminton Ranking Confirmed

[스포티비뉴스=장하준 기자] Ahn Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance, 24), who has established herself as an absolute powerhouse in Korean badminton women’s singles, is setting the tone for the early part of the 2026 season by maintaining an unchanging top weight class in the international ranking system. Meanwhile, China’s Chen Yufei (28), who is considered the most threatening competitor on the international stage, announced a full-fledged pursuit by lifting the trophy in an expedition to Indonesia, adding tension to the women’s singles game.

According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking, which is announced based on international competition results, Ahn Se-young’s ranking point as of the 27th (Korean time) is 117,270 points, firmly maintaining the first place. At the start of the season, they dominated the Malaysia Open and India Open in succession, greatly increasing their ranking points, forming a clear gap with the competitors following them. In fact, the gap with second place Wang Ziyi (China, 103,362 points) is close to 14,000 points. Due to the nature of the badminton ranking system, it is difficult to overturn the difference just by winning a single competition, so it is highly likely that the ‘Ahn Se-young solo system’ will continue for the time being.

An interesting change occurred in the top three. Chen Yufei (94,635 points), one of the leading figures in Chinese badminton, recorded an overwhelming victory in the Indonesia Masters (Super 500) without giving up a single game, raising her ranking to third place. Chen Yufei secured a winning score of 9,200 points by defeating Thai rookie Pichamon Opatnipus in the finals, and with this increase in points, she re-entered the TOP3, beating Akane Yamaguchi (Japan, 93,064 points).

There is a clear calculation behind Chen Yufei’s recent active participation in small and medium-sized competitions. This is because only by rising to second place in the rankings can one avoid an early match-up with Ahn Se-young in a major tournament such as the All England Open. If the ‘Ahn Se-young vs. Chen Yu-fei’ match takes place before the finals in a major international competition, medal efficiency will decrease for China, so Chen Yu-fei is strategically focusing on harvesting BWF points.

On the other hand, the ranking trend of other Korean national team players left some disappointment. In women’s singles, Shim Yu-jin (Incheon International Airport, 27)’s ranking dropped to 13th (53,789 points) due to the aftermath of withdrawing from the Malaysia Open due to injury, while Kim Ga-eun (Samsung Life Insurance, 28) appears to have entered a stagnation phase, maintaining her ranking of 17th (51,650 points).

Even in the doubles event, the positions of Korean players were mixed. The men’s doubles pair of Kim Won-ho (27) and Seo Seung-jae (29, Samsung Life Insurance) maintains the world’s No. 1 position, and despite the decision to withdraw from the India Open, they maintain a large lead thanks to a structure that does not affect their ranking points. The score gap with second place is more than 26,000 points, so it is unlikely that the top spot will be shaken for the time being.

In women’s doubles, the pair of Baek Ha-na (MG Saemaeul Geumgo, 26) and Lee So-hee (Incheon International Airport, 32) rose one place to 3rd in the world, while the pair of Kim Hye-jung (Samsung Life Insurance, 28) and Gong Hee-yong (Jeonbuk Bank, 30) fell to 5th, causing a change in ranking.

Now, attention turns to the next schedule. The Korean national team plans to participate in the Asian Men’s and Women’s Team Championships to be held in Qingdao, China from February 3 to improve their sense of real-life performance. As large-scale competitions such as the All England Open follow immediately after this competition, the time when a major change in the rankings may occur again is approaching.

The prevailing opinion is that the current international badminton women’s singles structure is a top three structure of ‘Ahn Se-young vs. Chen Yu-fei vs. Wang Zhi-yi’. Among them, Ahn Se-young has maintained stability not only in her ranking but also in her performance, taking an advantageous position in the mid- to long-term competition. At the same time, with China’s two strong players attempting to adjust their positions, the international competition in the first half of this year is expected to unfold in an interesting structure that combines strategy, physical strength, and psychological warfare.