An Se Young Clinches Second World Championships Title, Extends Winning Streak in India

An Se Young Lights Up Delhi With Second World Championships Triumph

“Let’s go, An Se Young, let’s go,” echoed around the packed stands at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

A day after nearly 8,000 fans had gathered to cheer home favourites Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, the Delhi crowd returned in force for a player who has gradually become one of its favourites. An Se Young was once again the centre of attention — and the World No. 1 delivered a performance worthy of the occasion.

The reigning Olympic champion produced a commanding display to defeat three-time World champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 in just 49 minutes and claim her second World Championships women’s singles title.

The result was even more impressive given that An had entered the tournament after missing a month of competition because of a foot injury. She took some time to settle into the tournament but never looked seriously threatened. The Korean did not drop a single game throughout the championships and was pushed beyond an hour only once, in her semi-final against China’s World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi.

The final was expected to be another long battle between two familiar rivals. Sunday marked the 35th meeting between An and Yamaguchi on tour, but there was little drama this time.

An immediately took control, playing with greater aggression and refusing to allow Yamaguchi to establish any rhythm. Rather than getting drawn into the long, physically demanding rallies that have characterised their previous encounters, she attacked whenever an opening appeared.

Her play at the net was particularly effective. Precise drops and sharp exchanges in the forecourt repeatedly exposed gaps in Yamaguchi’s defence, while An’s movement and court coverage ensured that the Japanese star struggled to find easy points.

The packed Delhi crowd, which had been waiting all week for another chance to see An in action, responded enthusiastically throughout.

And after sealing the title, An allowed herself a rare moment of showmanship. She struck a celebratory pose for the cameras before walking towards the crowd and sending a shuttle into the stands. She then celebrated with her coaching team, keeping her trademark ‘Rambo’ bandana on this time after tossing it into the crowd following her semi-final win over Wang.

The affection between An and the Delhi crowd has grown throughout the tournament. She has repeatedly acknowledged the support by waving and bowing towards the stands, and Sunday’s victory gave her another reason to celebrate with her adopted fans.

Her record in India is now remarkable. An remains unbeaten in completed matches on Indian soil and has won the India Open three times — in 2023, 2025 and 2026. She has now added a second World Championships crown to that impressive collection.

The New Delhi triumph adds another major chapter to a career already regarded among the finest of the modern era. An became South Korea’s first women’s singles world champion when she won the title in Copenhagen in 2023. She followed that with individual and team gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and then captured Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

With more than 30 BWF World Tour titles, including multiple All England, Malaysia and Singapore Open victories, An has established herself as the dominant force in women’s badminton.

Her success has been built on extraordinary court coverage, relentless defence, precise footwork and exceptional tactical awareness. Often described as the ultimate “retriever”, she has made turning seemingly lost rallies into winning points a defining feature of her game.

But in Delhi, she showed that she is much more than a defensive specialist. Against Yamaguchi, An combined her trademark resilience with fearless attacking badminton.

The Delhi crowd had asked for a show. An Se Young delivered one — and left New Delhi with another world title.