Aichi-Nagoya: An Se-young added another extraordinary chapter to her career on Tuesday, defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi to become the first woman to win back-to-back Asian Games badminton singles titles.
The Korean world No. 1 delivered a commanding performance in the women’s singles final at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, overcoming Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 to successfully defend the crown she captured at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
The victory gave An a piece of Asian Games history that had eluded generations of women’s singles greats. Across the previous 16 editions, 16 different champions had been crowned, with no player managing to win the title twice.
An Se-young Takes Control Against Akane Yamaguchi
The opening game was far more competitive than the final scoreline of the match might suggest.
With little separating the two players early on, An began to create some breathing room after leading 9-8. Her judgment around the lines and ability to control the rallies helped her take an 11-8 advantage into the interval.
Yamaguchi refused to let the game slip away and battled back to level the score at 16-16. An remained composed under pressure, however, finding the points she needed late in the game to close it out 21-17.
The second game was a different story.
An accelerated away from her Japanese rival with a seven-point run that opened a 12-5 lead. From there, the Korean maintained control and allowed Yamaguchi few opportunities to mount another comeback, sealing the gold medal with a decisive 21-9 victory.
The result was also An’s ninth consecutive win over Yamaguchi.
Another Remarkable Season for An Se-young
The Asian Games title adds to an exceptional 2026 campaign for An, who has now recorded 56 victories from 57 matches this year, maintaining a winning rate above 98 percent.
An and Yamaguchi had already met earlier in Aichi-Nagoya, providing a preview of what was to come in the individual final.
Playing first singles in the women’s team semifinals on Sept. 23, An defeated Yamaguchi 21-9, 18-21, 21-11. Six days later, she needed only two games to overcome the Japanese star in their rematch with gold on the line.
After the final, Yamaguchi acknowledged the challenge of trying to overcome a player who has established herself at the top of women’s badminton.
“I fought as hard as I could in my own way,” Yamaguchi said. “I can’t say it’s unavoidable as a player, but I think I have to accept it for now. I think it’s really great that there is a player who can keep moving forward.”
A Milestone No Women’s Singles Player Had Achieved
An’s accomplishment stands out even more when placed alongside the history of the event.
Some of badminton’s most celebrated women’s singles players have won Asian Games gold, but none had successfully defended the individual title.
Indonesia’s Susi Susanti dominated much of the 1990s, China’s Zhang Ning became a two-time Olympic champion, and Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu-ying spent a record 214 weeks as world No. 1. Yet consecutive Asian Games singles crowns remained out of reach.
An has now broken that pattern, following her Hangzhou triumph with another gold medal three years later in Aichi-Nagoya.
Lee So-hee-Baek Ha-na End South Korea’s 24-Year Wait
South Korea had even more to celebrate in women’s doubles, where Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na captured their first Asian Games gold medal together after a dramatic three-game final.
The world No. 2 Koreans defeated China’s top-ranked Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning 26-28, 21-18, 21-18.
After narrowly losing an extended opening game, Lee and Baek responded by taking the next two to end South Korea’s 24-year wait for an Asian Games women’s doubles title.
They became the first Korean pair to win the event since Ra Kyung-min and Lee Kyung-won claimed gold in 2002.
Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin Deliver Mixed Doubles Gold for China
China also secured a badminton gold medal through Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin in mixed doubles.
The Chinese pair faced Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah, who had produced a major semifinal upset to reach the title match.
Jiang and Wei prevented another Indonesian surprise, taking a competitive opening game before pulling away in the second to complete a 21-19, 21-8 victory.
But the biggest piece of badminton history on Tuesday belonged to An. Three years after standing on top of the podium in Hangzhou, the Korean star did it again in Aichi-Nagoya, becoming the first women’s singles player to successfully defend an Asian Games title.
