Aichi-Nagoya: An Se-young is one victory away from making Asian Games badminton history after delivering another dominant performance to reach the women’s singles final at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
The Korean world No. 1 overwhelmed China’s Chen Yufei 21-5, 21-12 in Monday’s semifinal at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, setting up a gold-medal showdown with Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.
Should An win Tuesday’s final, she would become the first player to capture consecutive Asian Games women’s singles titles since the badminton competition was introduced at the Games in 1962.
An Se-young Dominates Chen Yufei
Monday’s semifinal was expected to provide An with one of her toughest tests of the tournament, but the Korean star quickly took control against the world No. 4.
Chen was once one of An’s most difficult opponents, beating her seven consecutive times earlier in their rivalry. The balance has since shifted dramatically, with An’s semifinal victory extending her current winning streak over the Chinese star to five matches.
Despite another commanding performance, An believes there is still room to improve. She rated her semifinal display at only 85 out of 100.
“For me, 100 means not giving away a single point and making no mistakes,” An said. “I’m always imagining myself playing that kind of match, and I think that’s what keeps me motivated.”
Akane Yamaguchi Stands Between An and History
An will now face longtime Japanese rival Akane Yamaguchi for the women’s singles gold medal.
The matchup offers another intriguing chapter in their rivalry, although recent results have heavily favored the Korean. An has won their last eight encounters, including their meeting during the women’s team competition earlier at these Games.
Asked about her potential final opponent before the matchup was determined, An made it clear that her approach would remain unchanged.
“Whoever comes through to the final makes no difference to me,” she said. “My job is still to give everything I have. I hope whoever advances can do so without injury.”
An has also been in exceptional form throughout the 2026 season, winning 55 of her 56 matches for a winning percentage of approximately 98 percent.
Her path through the individual competition in Aichi-Nagoya has been equally impressive. She has yet to drop a game and needed just 20 minutes to complete her Round of 32 match, followed by 35 minutes in the Round of 16, 35 minutes in the quarterfinals and 40 minutes against Chen in the semifinals.
Lee So-hee-Baek Ha-na Chase Women’s Doubles Gold
South Korea will have another opportunity to capture badminton gold in the women’s doubles final, where Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na will take on China’s Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning.
Lee and Baek claimed silver at the 2023 Asian Games and will now attempt to become the first South Korean women’s doubles pair to win the Asian Games title since 2002.
Amri Syahnawi-Nita Violina Marwah Stun Top Seeds
One of the biggest surprises of the day came in mixed doubles, where Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah produced a major upset against China’s top-seeded Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.
The Indonesian pair delivered an emphatic 21-12, 21-14 victory to advance to the gold-medal match.
They will face another Chinese combination, Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, who booked their place in the final with a 21-13, 21-9 semifinal victory over Taiwan’s Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan.
Watch: Amri Syahnawi-Nita Violina Marwah vs. Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping
Video source: YouTube
With An now within one victory of a historic title and gold medals still to be decided across several events, the final day in Aichi-Nagoya promises another major chapter in Asian Games badminton.
