Deep-dive: What makes An Se-young one of badminton’s all-time greats

FILE PHOTO: At the age of 24, An Se-young has already gone past Susi Susanti’s all-time record of 46 international women’s singles trophies (excluding regional games). | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Before An Se-young and P.V. Sindhu took to the court in Paris on Sunday, the South Korean’s victory seemed almost inevitable. Yet, Sindhu led at the first mid-game interval, thanks to a series of cross-court smashes and some uncharacteristic errors from An, whose shots repeatedly sailed beyond the lines. For a moment, the script appeared to be changing.

But An has built a career on finding answers when opponents threaten to derail her. The start of the second game saw her being more aggressive on court – her quick reflexes and her mid-court delivery made Sindhu’s returns go past the lines. Once An was able to maintain her lead, she returned to her tried-and-tested method of playing the corners, swift drops, and making her opponent run all across the court.

She forced a decider and eventually, found a way past India’s leading shuttler. An went on to win the French Open 2026 16-21, 21-11, 21-12. Another French Open title for the South Korean, further enhancing an already formidable collection of honours.

Reigning world champion An Se Young 🇰🇷 contests Pusarla V. Sindhu 🇮🇳. #BWFWorldTour #FrenchOpen2026 https://t.co/eRZlxff8x4

— BWF (@bwfmedia) October 25, 2026

Indian badminton fans are familiar with An’s dominance, particularly in her one-sided rivalry with Sindhu. Including the French Open, An has won all 11 of their previous encounters, with Sindhu managing to take just two games. The result reinforced the gulf between the two, but the opening game also offered a glimpse of what can make even the world’s best vulnerable.

2026 has been nothing but another chance for the 24-year-old An to raise the bar. She has won 66 of the 67 matches she has played, recording a remarkable win rate of 98.51 per cent. She has collected 10 titles this year, taking her career tally to 48 to break Susi Susanti’s all-time record of most international women’s singles trophies (excluding regional games).

The art of making opponents move

“Sometimes you’re worried about, you think, where can I win just one point? Because in so many ways, she is just a machine. She’s a robot. She just is. She finds a way to win and she just goes hard at that. I think she should be studied for generations to come,” Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour previously told Sportstar.

The comparison to a machine is telling, but it does not fully explain An’s genius. Her game is not simply about power or relentless attack. She understands how to manipulate space, dictate the pace of a rally and make opponents work for every point.

READ | Remarkable, relentless and ready for more — An Se-young takes over badminton like never seen before

An does not always smash when the opportunity presents itself. Instead, she can push an opponent towards one corner, force them back into the same corner from where they have just played a shot and then, disguise a cross-court drop or unleash a smash. The change in direction, caused just when the opponent expects it the least, can be devastating.

Patience is as significant as power when it comes to An’s game. She stretches rallies, probes for weaknesses and moves opponents diagonally. The exchanges can build slowly, with An drawing her opponent into a pattern before suddenly changing the pace or direction of the rally. When the opening arrives, she can finish with startling precision.

It is this combination of movement, anticipation and tactical discipline that has helped her spend 169 weeks at the top of the BWF women’s singles rankings.

From promising junior to world-beater

Long before the international headlines and the growing collection of trophies, An was making her mark on the junior circuit. She won her maiden international title at the Under-15 Korea Junior Open in 2015, just five months after competing in her first international tournament.

At 16, she claimed her first senior international title at the 2018 Irish Open. Her real breakthrough, however, came a year later, when she won her maiden BWF World Tour title at the New Zealand Open, defeating China’s Li Xuerui, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist, in the final.

“I have been doing extra training by myself, but I didn’t expect to win so early. I will continue to prepare the best I can and my aim is to go to the World Championships and the Olympics,” An told the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after her victory.

The 17-year-old followed that breakthrough with more titles; a run that propelled her into the world’s top 10 for the first time in November 2019. She was also named the BWF Most Promising Player of the Year.

Against Chen Yu Fei, who was among the two best female shuttlers at that time, An trailed 0-7 between 2019 and 2021. She has since turned that rivalry around and now leads 18-14. The reversal illustrates how she has evolved from a precocious talent into a player capable of adapting to opponents who once seemed to have her measure.

In 2023, An made history by becoming the first South Korean World Champion in women’s singles, defeating Spain’s Carolina Marín, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, in straight games in the summit clash. She added another milestone by winning the Asian Games gold medal, South Korea’s first in the event in almost three decades.

In August that year, she climbed to the top of the BWF women’s singles rankings, overtaking her Japanese rival Akane Yamaguchi.

A champion without an obvious ceiling

An’s achievements since then have strengthened her case as one of the defining players of her generation. She won Olympic gold at Paris 2024 and next season, collected 11 international titles while also becoming the first badminton player to earn more than USD 1 million in prize money in a single calendar year.

The numbers capture the scale of her dominance, but they do not tell the whole story. Her ability to recover is a significant part of what separates the very good from the exceptional. Yet, it also raises an intriguing question as badminton prepares for yet another change in its scoring format.

Will the 15-point format change the equation?

As the 2026 calendar draws to a close, An has claimed the season’s final Super 750 title, which was also the last Super 750 event to be played under the 21-point, best-of-three-games format.

The switch to 15-point games could change the demands of elite badminton. With fewer points available, players may have less time to recover from a slow start or a run of unforced errors. Momentum could become even more decisive, placing a premium on sharp openings and immediate control.

An’s recent match against Sindhu offered a reminder that she is not immune to slow starts. Several of her shots drifted wide as she struggled to establish control in the first game. A poor opening game need not become a poor match, but a shorter game could leave less room for such a turnaround.

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Her 2026 World Championships final against Yamaguchi also illustrated how finely balanced contests between elite players can be. The first game stood at 17-17 before An pulled away. In the second, Yamaguchi had the upper hand in the initial stages before the Korean gradually built her lead. Such passages underline how quickly momentum can shift at the highest level, and how a player’s ability to build an advantage over an extended game can matter.

Still, it would be premature to conclude that the shorter format will necessarily work against An. Her consistency, tactical intelligence and ability to withstand pressure could prove just as valuable in a faster contest. A reduced points tally might also reward her ability to maintain control and force opponents into errors.

The more pertinent question is whether she can adapt her approach without losing the qualities that have made her so difficult to beat. Will she need to attack earlier, take greater risks or find ways to establish control more quickly? Or will her exceptional court coverage, patient construction of rallies and ability to change direction remain just as effective when games are shorter?

An has repeatedly shown that she can find answers on the court. The coming season may test that adaptability in a different way.

For now, her record leaves little doubt about her place among the best players badminton has seen. Watching her play is akin to watching a carefully choreographed performance: the measured exchanges, the gradual tightening of the rally and the sudden acceleration towards a decisive finish.

The build-up is part of the spectacle. The question is whether, in a game with fewer points to play, An will have quite as much time to make it count.