Yeosu, South Korea, November 9, 2026: An Se Young is approaching a level of dominance rarely seen in international badminton. The South Korean world No. 1 has won 71 of her 72 matches this year, collected 11 titles and extended her winning streak to 55 consecutive matches after defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-12, 15-21, 21-16 in Sunday’s Korea Open women’s singles final.
With just one defeat throughout the 2026 season, An is now within reach of two extraordinary milestones: surpassing the single-season record of 11 international titles and challenging the 59-match women’s singles winning streak attributed to Indonesian badminton legend Susi Susanti.
The 24-year-old will have an opportunity to pursue both achievements at the BWF World Tour Finals, scheduled to begin December 9 in Hangzhou, China.
Yet despite the records within reach, An insists her priority remains producing her best badminton rather than becoming consumed by statistics.
An Se Young Defeats Akane Yamaguchi to Win 11th Title of 2026
Playing in front of a passionate home crowd at Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu, An faced one of her most familiar rivals in world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi.
The Korea Open final was particularly meaningful because Yamaguchi had defeated An in the championship match of the same tournament in 2025.
This time, however, the South Korean emerged victorious after three competitive games.
The opening game remained close until 9-9, when An began pulling away. She won three consecutive points and later added another seven-point run to establish a commanding advantage before taking the game 21-12.
Yamaguchi responded in the second game, racing to a 4-0 lead and maintaining her advantage despite An’s attempts to close the gap. The Japanese star eventually won 21-15 to force a deciding game.
In the third, An established an early 6-1 lead. Although Yamaguchi reduced the deficit, the Korean pulled away again after leading 11-9 and eventually completed the victory 21-16.
The result extended An’s winning streak against Yamaguchi to 11 matches and improved her overall head-to-head record against the Japanese player to 25 wins and 15 losses.
71 Wins, One Loss: An Se Young’s Extraordinary Badminton Season
An’s record in 2026 is remarkable even by the standards of the world’s leading badminton players.
Across 72 matches, she has recorded 71 victories and suffered only one defeat, giving her a winning percentage of approximately 98.6%.
That lone loss came against China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the All England Open women’s singles final in March.
Since then, An has won 55 consecutive matches, collecting titles across the BWF World Tour and major international championships.
Her 11 championships this year include eight BWF World Tour titles, the Badminton Asia Championships, the BWF World Championships and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games women’s singles gold medal.
Her consistency has been especially impressive in three-game matches. According to the reported statistics, An has now won 22 consecutive matches that went the full distance since losing to Yamaguchi at the 2024 BWF World Tour Finals.
The Korea Open final offered another example of that resilience. After losing the second game, An recovered to win the decider against one of the strongest opponents in women’s singles.
An Se Young Chases Susi Susanti’s 59-Match Winning Streak
An’s current 55-match winning streak has brought her close to a historic benchmark associated with Indonesian legend Susi Susanti.
Susanti is credited in historical badminton reporting with a 59-match women’s singles winning streak spanning 1993 and 1994.
If An wins another four consecutive matches, she would equal that mark. A fifth victory would take her to 60 straight wins and move her beyond the reported benchmark.
The opportunity could arrive at the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, where the world’s leading players will compete for the final major title of 2026.
However, extending the streak will require An to maintain her extraordinary consistency against elite opposition at one of the most competitive events on the badminton calendar.
Eleven Titles in Consecutive Seasons: An Se Young Makes History
An’s Korea Open triumph also placed her alongside Japan’s Kento Momota in the record books.
Momota won 11 international titles in 2019, establishing a benchmark for the most titles in a calendar year by a singles player.
An matched that achievement in 2025 and has now repeated it in 2026, becoming the first singles player to reach 11 international titles in consecutive seasons.
Reflecting on the achievement after the Korea Open final, An expressed pride in her progress, particularly the mental development that has helped her cope with difficult matches and physical exhaustion.
She explained that she has become mentally stronger than last season and has learned how to recover during matches even when her energy is nearly depleted.
That improvement has helped her maintain an exceptional level of consistency throughout a demanding international schedule.
Third Korea Open Title Brings Emotional Homecoming
Winning in Yeosu carried special significance for An, who had considered skipping the Korea Open because of fatigue following a busy tournament schedule.
Instead, she chose to compete in front of her home supporters and ultimately claimed her third Korea Open women’s singles championship, following previous victories in 2022 and 2023.
She became the first women’s singles player since South Korean great Bang Soo Hyun to win the tournament three times.
After the final, An said she was deeply moved by the support of the Korean spectators, whose encouragement helped her regain confidence when mistakes threatened to disrupt her performance.
The victory also provided a satisfying response to her defeat against Yamaguchi in the previous year’s Korea Open final.
BWF World Tour Finals Offers Chance for Historic 12th Title
Following her Korea Open success, An is expected to take a short break before returning to competition at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, beginning December 9.
The tournament represents her opportunity to claim a record-breaking 12th international title in a single season.
It could also bring her closer to, or potentially beyond, the 59-match winning streak attributed to Susi Susanti, depending on her results.
Despite the significance of those milestones, An has indicated that she is not placing unnecessary pressure on herself to break records.
Instead, she wants to arrive at the season-ending tournament prepared to perform at her usual level.
For a player who has lost only once in 72 matches, that standard has already proved exceptionally difficult for her opponents to match.
As the 2026 badminton season approaches its conclusion, An Se Young has an opportunity to turn an already historic year into something even more remarkable.
Complete Tournament Results
2026 Korea Open — Women’s Singles Final
An Se Young (South Korea) defeated Akane Yamaguchi (Japan), 21-12, 15-21, 21-16.
No other completed match results were included in the supplied report.
