Dominant Force in Badminton

An Se-young (24), currently ranked No. 1 in the world, is preparing to compete in the 2026 All England Open, seeking her third career title at the prestigious 126-year-old tournament. A victory would as well mark the first time a Korean badminton player has won the All England Open in consecutive years.

Preparation and Recent Successes

Se-young Ahn will participate in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour All England Open held at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England on March 3rd. The All England Open is a Super 1000 tournament, recognized for its substantial prize money and prestige. Following a successful performance at the Asian Team Championship on February 8th, Ahn Se-young has spent three weeks focused on physical recovery.

“The ultimate goal is to finish the year without losing even once,”

Ahn Se-young

Challenging Competition Ahead

The All England Open will feature a strong field of competitors, including Wang Zhiyi (World No. 2), Chen Yufei (World No. 3), Han Yue (World No. 5) and Akane Yamaguchi (World No. 4). A potential semifinal matchup against Chen Yufei is anticipated. Ahn Se-young’s opening match in the round of 32 will be against Turkiye’s Neslihan Arin (world number 37).

A History of Achievement

Ahn Se-young previously won the All England Open in 2023 and 2025. She was named 2019’s Most Promising Player of the Year and 2023’s Female Player of the Year by the BWF. She also made history in 2023 by becoming the first Korean women’s singles player to win the World Championships title, and secured the women’s singles gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.

Record-Breaking Winning Streak

Ahn Se-young is currently on a remarkable 32-game winning streak, having not lost since September of last year. This is the third-highest record in women’s singles history, trailing only Indonesian Suzy Susanthi’s 59 consecutive wins and China’s Xue Xingfang’s 34 consecutive wins.

Team Korea at the All England Open

Seo Seung-jae, recovering from a shoulder injury, will compete in men’s doubles with Kim Won-ho. The duo, alongside Ahn Se-young, previously won gold at the All England Open last year. The women’s doubles team of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na will also be competing for a championship.

FAQ

• What is An Se-young’s current world ranking? No. 1
• What titles has An Se-young already won? 2024 Summer Olympics (Women’s Singles), 2023 World Championships, 2022 Asian Games, 2022 Uber Cup, and multiple other championships.
• What is An Se-young’s current winning streak? 32 games.