An Se-young Defeats Yamaguchi to Claim Second World Title in New Delhi
World No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea overpowered defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-17, 21-14 in the BWF World Championships women's singles final in New Delhi on Sunday, capturing her second career world title and making history for Korean badminton.
The 49-minute victory, played at a relentless pace in front of a boisterous crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, was An's sixth consecutive win against Yamaguchi and gave her a flawless record at this year's championship—six matches, six wins, and not a single game dropped.
Historic Achievement
With the win, An, 23, became the first South Korean singles player—male or female—to win two World Championships titles. She first won the title in Copenhagen in 2023, then took Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 and a bronze at last year's world championships in Paris.
The final was a tightly contested affair, especially in the opening game, where Yamaguchi briefly moved ahead 16-15 after An had led 15-12. But the South Korean responded with four consecutive points to seal the first game. In the second, Yamaguchi again started strongly, taking a 4-2 lead, but An quickly turned the momentum, moving ahead 7-6 and building a four-point cushion at 11-7. She then closed out the match, producing a delicate drop at 17-13 that left Yamaguchi sprawling on the court.
Overcoming Injury
An's triumph was particularly notable given the physical challenges she faced coming into the tournament. She had been troubled by a knee injury in the weeks leading up to the event, and there were doubts about whether she would participate. At the Japan Open in July, she had lost early after withdrawing from the event due to the injury.
Speaking after the final, An thanked the New Delhi crowd for their support. "There are a lot of people support. I want to thank all my fans for supporting me," she said, according to Times Now. "This keeps me going and gives me energy. I am so excited and enjoying it."
Her coach, Park Joo-bong, told Times Now that the team had considered skipping the world championships to focus instead on the Asian Games later this year. "We thought about skipping the worlds to prepare well for the Asian Games," Park said. "But she wanted to play here, and she loves this crowd."
Asian Games Next
An returned home to Incheon on Tuesday, two days after her victory, and immediately turned her attention to the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled to take place next month in Japan. She told reporters at the airport that she had been nervous coming into the world championships, as it was her first tournament back from injury. "I did not have high expectations for myself, and I was surprised to be able to bring home such a great result," she said, according to Yonhap.
She acknowledged that she was not completely pain-free throughout the tournament, but said her condition improved as the event progressed. She also noted that the victory against Yamaguchi—her sixth in a row—was a confidence boost, especially with the Asian Games set to be played on Yamaguchi's home turf.
"I think it is a great sign that I have been able to beat her consistently," An said. "The key is self-belief and confidence. I have to trust myself."
An's rivals at the Asian Games will include China's Wang Zhiyi, whom she beat in the semifinals in New Delhi. After that match, Wang asked An, "How do I beat you?"—a question An said she answered with a smile and a reminder to herself that hard work and self-belief are the answer.