Yeosu, South Korea, November 8, 2026: An Se Young’s biggest rival may now be herself. The South Korean world No. 1 claimed her 11th badminton title of 2026 on Sunday, defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-12, 15-21, 21-16 in the Korea Open women’s singles final to extend her extraordinary winning streak to 55 consecutive matches.
In a season when almost nobody has been able to beat her, An has compiled an astonishing record of 71 wins and just one defeat. That lone loss came against China’s Wang Zhiyi in the All England Open final in March.
Since then, the 24-year-old has not lost another completed match, winning titles across Asia and Europe while establishing herself as the dominant force in women’s singles badminton.
Her latest triumph at the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament in Yeosu was particularly meaningful. Not only did she win in front of her home supporters, but she also avenged her defeat to Yamaguchi in the 2025 Korea Open final.
An Se Young Beats Akane Yamaguchi in Three-Game Korea Open Final
The championship match brought together the world’s two highest-ranked women’s singles players, with An facing world No. 2 Yamaguchi for the 40th time.
An took control of the opening game after a competitive start, pulling away to win 21-12. However, Yamaguchi, the defending champion, responded strongly in the second game and leveled the match with a 21-15 victory.
With the title at stake, An regained the advantage in the deciding game. Yamaguchi remained within striking distance, but the Korean maintained her lead and completed the victory 21-16 after 62 minutes.
The result extended An’s winning streak against Yamaguchi to 11 matches and improved her career head-to-head record against the Japanese star to 25 wins and 15 losses.
It was also An’s 11th victory in 18 individual tournament finals against Yamaguchi, and her third Korea Open women’s singles title following previous successes in 2022 and 2023.
Watch: An Se Young vs. Akane Yamaguchi — 2026 Korea Open Final Highlights
Eleven Titles, One Defeat: An Se Young’s Remarkable 2026 Season
By winning the Korea Open, An equaled the record of 11 international titles in a calendar year, first achieved by Japan’s Kento Momota in 2019 and matched by An herself in 2025.
She has now reached that milestone in consecutive seasons, an achievement unmatched in men’s or women’s singles badminton.
Her 2026 championship collection includes the Malaysia Open, India Open, Singapore Open, Indonesia Open, China Masters, Denmark Open, French Open and Korea Open.
She also captured the Asian Badminton Championships title for the first time, reclaimed the women’s singles world championship in New Delhi, and successfully defended her Asian Games gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan.
Those victories have produced one of the most remarkable seasons in modern badminton: 11 titles, a 55-match winning streak and a winning percentage of approximately 98.6%.
Against that record, the question surrounding An is increasingly not which opponent can defeat her, but how much further she can push her own standards.
China’s Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin Win Mixed Doubles Title
China’s top-seeded mixed doubles pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin also celebrated a successful Korea Open campaign, defeating compatriots Gao Jiaxuan and Wu Mengying 21-16, 21-13 in an all-Chinese final.
World No. 2 Jiang and Wei needed just 32 minutes to overcome the world No. 28 pairing, claiming their fifth title of the season.
The victory continued an impressive run for the reigning Asian Games mixed doubles champions, who have now won four titles since late September.
Jiang and Wei captured Asian Games gold in Aichi-Nagoya before adding the Arctic Open, Denmark Open and Korea Open titles. Their earlier success at the Macau Open in June completes their five-title collection for 2026.
The result also marked their second consecutive victory over Gao and Wu, following their previous meeting at the Arctic Open.
Watch: Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin vs. Gao Jiaxuan and Wu Mengying — Korea Open Final Highlights
Japan’s Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara Deny South Korea Women’s Doubles Title
Japan’s sixth-seeded women’s doubles pair Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara secured their first BWF World Tour title together by defeating South Korea’s Kim Yu Jung and Lee Yu Lim 21-18, 21-18 in the final.
World No. 17 Hirokami and Hobara overcame the world No. 31 Korean pair in two closely contested games, completing the victory in 64 minutes.
The Japanese pair’s success also ended South Korea’s hopes of winning the Korea Open women’s doubles championship for a third consecutive year.
Jeong Na Eun and Kim Hye Jeong had won the title in 2024, while Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong followed with another Korean victory in 2025.
Although the home nation missed out in women’s doubles, An Se Young ensured that South Korean supporters still had a major championship to celebrate in Yeosu.
Can Anyone Stop An Se Young in 2026?
An’s Korea Open victory leaves her with an opportunity to surpass the single-season record of 11 international titles.
She is expected to skip the upcoming Kumamoto Masters in Japan to recover from her demanding schedule, with the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, in December offering another opportunity to compete for a 12th championship.
Yamaguchi remains one of her strongest international rivals, while Wang Zhiyi is the only player to have defeated An in a completed match this season.
Yet with 55 consecutive victories and only one loss all year, An has reached a level of consistency that few badminton players have ever matched.
For the South Korean champion, the biggest challenge may no longer be defeating the player across the net. It may be finding a way to surpass the extraordinary standard she has already set for herself.
Complete Tournament Results
2026 Korea Open — Men’s Singles Final
Victor Lai (Canada) defeated Jason Gunawan (Hong Kong), 21-11, 21-14.
2026 Korea Open — Women’s Singles Final
An Se Young (South Korea) defeated Akane Yamaguchi (Japan), 21-12, 15-21, 21-16.
2026 Korea Open — Men’s Doubles Final
Kim Won Ho / Seo Seung Jae (South Korea) defeated Takuro Hoki / Yugo Kobayashi (Japan), 21-12, 20-22, 21-19.
2026 Korea Open — Women’s Doubles Final
Rui Hirokami / Sayaka Hobara (Japan) defeated Kim Yu Jung / Lee Yu Lim (South Korea), 21-18, 21-18.
2026 Korea Open — Mixed Doubles Final
Jiang Zhenbang / Wei Yaxin (China) defeated Gao Jiaxuan / Wu Mengying (China), 21-16, 21-13.
