Olympic badminton champion An Se-young claimed her 47th career international singles title by defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-23, 21-14, 21-18 at the Denmark Open in Odense, surpassing the long-standing record of 46 titles held by Indonesian legend Susi Susanti.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Single-Season Record Watch: With nine individual titles secured this year heading into the French Open, she sits just two victories away from tying Kento Momota’s single-season benchmark of 11.
- Yamaguchi’s narrow collapse after leading 11-5 in the third game highlights the intense competition in her match against the South Korean star.
Odense Comeback Secures Historic Milestone
The milestone victory did not come without a tactical scare on the court. Third-ranked Akane Yamaguchi controlled the early exchanges and constructed an imposing 11-5 lead in the deciding third game. It marked a stretch where Yamaguchi threatened to beat An for the first time since September 2025.
Instead, An deployed her trademark defensive resilience and stamina to disrupt Yamaguchi’s low-block distribution. The South Korean world number one reeled off point after point, ultimately wrestling back control to seal the 21-23, 21-14, 21-18 triumph. The win elevated her clear of Susi Susanti’s 46-title benchmark, which had stood since the Indonesian great retired in 1997.
Inside An Se-young’s Record-Breaking 2026 Campaign
Governing body BWF records indicate that official singles record-keeping began in 1999 and strictly excludes regional multi-sport games from the primary tally. The 24-year-old Samsung Life Insurance athlete entered the period with a 98.4% winning rate across individual events this season, compiling 61 wins against a lone defeat.
“I want to make a lot of history and break records but I focus on one match at a time,” An told the Badminton World Federation after the final. “That is my motivation. The crowds turn out for me and I’m happy people enjoy every match I play.”
Her singular blemish in 2026 arrived in March at the All England Open final, where she dropped a decision to China’s Wang Zhiyi. Aside from that setback, An has swept through major global stops, including gold at the Asian Games, the world championships, and the Uber Cup.
| Player | Career Titles | Status / Era |
|---|---|---|
| An Se-young | 47 | Active (Record Holder) |
| Susi Susanti | 46 | Retired (1997) |
| Carolina Marin | 39 | Active / Veteran |
Chasing the Single-Season Benchmark in Paris
With the Odense fixture concluded, the global badminton calendar shifts immediately to the French Open in Paris. An enters the Parisian tournament with sights set on an even larger historical footnote: the single-season crown record. Having matched Kento Momota’s legendary haul of 11 international titles in a single calendar year during 2025, An sits at nine individual titles for the current season.
Securing three more tournament victories before the year closes out would give her 12 titles, establishing sole possession of the all-time single-season record. As she prepares for the French Open draws, her acknowledgement of elite competition highlights her relentless competitive drive.
“Rivalry makes you better,” An noted, paying tribute to the physical and tactical demands placed upon her by players like Yamaguchi and Wang.
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