Archive · 24 Aug 2026
An Se-young Defeats Yamaguchi to Win Second World Title
An Se-young won the women’s singles title at the 2026 BWF World Championships.
She beat Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in two games.
The scores were 21-17 and 21-14.
Yamaguchi was the defending champion and fought hard in both games.
An stayed calm and won important points when the games were close.
She did not lose a game during the entire tournament.
This was An’s second world championship title.
She had recently returned from a left-foot injury.
World No. 1 An Se-young defeated defending champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 in New Delhi.
The 49-minute victory secured An’s second BWF World Championships women’s singles title.
An completed her six-match campaign without dropping a game.
She has won six consecutive matches against Yamaguchi and leads their overall rivalry 20-15.
The title marked An’s return after a left-foot injury and approximately one month away from competition.
- Who
- South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se-young and Japan’s world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi.
- What
- An defeated defending champion Yamaguchi in straight games to win the women’s singles world title.
- When
- Sunday, at the 2026 BWF World Championships.
- Where
- Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi.
- Why
- An used consistency, defense and controlled attacking play to win crucial rallies and reclaim the world title.
- Final score
- An Se-young defeated Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14.
- Match duration
- 49 minutes.
- An’s title count
- Second BWF World Championships women’s singles title.
- Tournament record
- An went unbeaten in games from the round of 64 through the final.
- Head-to-head record
- An leads Yamaguchi 20-15 and has won their last six meetings.
- Previous world title
- An won her first world title at the 2023 Copenhagen championships.
- Recent injury
- An withdrew from the Japan Open and missed the China Open before returning after approximately one month away.
- Yamaguchi’s record
- Yamaguchi is a three-time world champion and had been seeking a fourth women’s singles title.
