An Se-young secured the 2026 BWF World Tour Korea Open women’s singles title on November 8, defeating world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi 2-1 (21-12, 15-21, 21-16) at the Yeosu Jinnam Gymnasium.
The victory, which avenged her runner-up finish to Yamaguchi at last year’s tournament, extended An’s winning streak to 55 matches. The world No. 1 now holds a season record of 71 wins and 1 loss, marking her 11th victory for two consecutive years and an 11-match winning streak against Yamaguchi.
The tournament also saw success in the men’s doubles category, where the world No. 1 pair of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho claimed the title. They defeated Japan’s Takuro Hokote and Yugo Kobayashi with a score of 2-1 (21-12, 20-22, 21-19) to achieve their second Korea Open championship.
This win ended a seven-month drought and a slump of nine consecutive international tournaments without a victory, allowing the duo to reclaim their status as the world’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair.
While An’s performance has led to praise as an all-time great, questions have been raised regarding how her skills would translate against male players. Experts suggest that the power gap between genders in badminton would be difficult for even An to overcome, noting that at the elite level, it would be hard for her to defeat male players. However, Seo Seung-jae offered a personal perspective on playing with the champion.
“Of course, Se-young is a legend and plays so well,” Seo said, noting that he has played with her while they were teammates. He observed that in a doubles format, An possesses strong physical strength and “good control at the front.” Seo even expressed interest in the possibility of partnering with her in mixed doubles if the opportunity arises.
Despite her dominance among female players, it is unclear if An will eventually play mixed doubles or return the powerful smashes of male competitors.
