An Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), the badminton "queen" who returned to international competition just a month after overcoming an injury, is sailing toward a second world championship title.
An, the world's top-ranked women's singles player, defeated European powerhouse Mia Blichfeldt (Denmark, ranked 16th) 2-0 (21-16, 21-10) in the round of 16 at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi, India, on the 19th, Korea time.
An, who spent about a month recovering from a left foot injury sustained at the Japan Open in July before entering this tournament, showed the same formidable form as before and advanced comfortably to the quarterfinals.
In the first game, An played evenly early on, reaching the interval at 11-10. But after the break she got going with three straight points and closed with three more consecutive points down the stretch to seize control at ease.
Having taken the first game, An displayed an overwhelming gap in ability in the second, wrapping up the match with little trouble. She grabbed an early lead by rattling off six points while conceding just one from the start.
The World Championships, running through the 23rd, is a major tournament that, along with the Summer Olympics, holds the highest prestige in the sport of badminton.
At the 2023 tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark, An made history by becoming the first South Korean to win a world championship singles title. Riding that momentum, she claimed the women's singles badminton gold medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the first for Korea since Bang Soo-hyun at the 1996 Atlanta Games, 28 years earlier.
At the 2025 World Championships in Paris, France, however, she finished third after losing 0-2 in the semifinals to Chen Yufei (China, ranked 4th), considered her nemesis. In this tournament she aims to reclaim the world champion title for the first time in three years.
