An Se Young produced a dominant performance in the women’s singles final of the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, defeating three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 in just 49 minutes to win her second world title.
The Delhi crowd, which had backed Indian pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand the previous day, turned its support towards the Korean star, with chants of “Let’s go, An Se Young” echoing around the stadium.
The World No. 1 had entered the tournament after missing a month because of a foot injury, but once she found her rhythm, she proved virtually unstoppable. She did not lose a single game throughout the championships and needed more than an hour only in her semi-final against China’s Wang Zhi Yi.
The final was expected to be another long battle between An and Yamaguchi, who were meeting for the 35th time. Instead, An controlled the contest from the outset, using aggressive attacking badminton and exceptional net play to prevent Yamaguchi from settling.
Her precise drops and sharp play in the forecourt repeatedly opened gaps, while her trademark movement and defensive ability allowed her to withstand Yamaguchi’s attempts to fight back.
After winning, An showed an unusually expressive side. She posed for cameras, walked towards the stands and hit a shuttle into the crowd before celebrating with her coaches.
Her relationship with the Delhi crowd had grown throughout the tournament. She repeatedly acknowledged the supporters by waving and bowing towards the stands, and on Sunday the affection was clearly mutual.
The victory also extended an extraordinary record: An Se Young has never lost a completed badminton match in India. She has now won the India Open three times—in 2023, 2025 and 2026—and has added the 2026 World Championship to her growing collection of titles.
Already the Olympic champion from Paris 2024 and South Korea’s first women’s singles world champion, An has also won the Asian Games individual and team titles and more than 30 BWF World Tour titles.
Her greatest strength remains her combination of exceptional court coverage, defensive resilience and tactical discipline. But in Delhi, she showed that she can be much more than the relentless retriever she is known for.
The Delhi crowd wanted a show. An Se Young gave them one—and a second world title to go with it.
If you’re tracking the championships, the men’s singles final between Alex Lanier and Kodai Naraoka is another major result from the same day.
