Defending champion An Se-young advanced to the women’s singles final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 28, defeating China’s Chen Yufei 2-0 (21-5, 21-12) in 38 minutes at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The world No. 1 from Samsung Life Insurance now stands one win away from claiming a historic second women’s singles title at the Asian Games.
Semifinal Domination Against Chen Yufei
An controlled the semifinal from the opening rallies, establishing an early 9-0 lead in the first game. She defused Chen’s aggressive smashes and maintained a steady cushion, stretching her advantage to 16-5 before sealing the first game with five consecutive points. The second game followed a similar pattern. Leading 16-12, An strung together four straight points to earn match point before closing out the straight-sets victory. The win marks An’s fifth head-to-head victory over Chen.
Chasing History in the Nagoya Final
A victory in the upcoming final would give An her second Asian Games singles gold medal, following her dominant run at the 2022 Hangzhou Games where she captured both the individual singles and team titles.
A Familiar Rivalry Awaiting for Gold
In the final scheduled for September 29, An will face Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, who is ranked third in the world. The two rivals recently met during the women’s team event semifinals in Nagoya, where An overcame Yamaguchi 2-1 (21-9, 18-21, 21-11). An enters the championship match carrying an eight-match win streak against Yamaguchi.
Unprecedented Momentum Across Global Tournaments
An’s run in Nagoya adds to an extraordinary season that includes titles at the 2023 World Championships, the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the Asian Championships in April, completing a career Grand Slam. Across team and individual competition this year, An holds an exceptional 55-1 match record across nine tournament victories.
