Will the seemingly endless winning streak ever come to an end? An Se-young (Samsung Life), who is dominating the world rankings as the No. 1 women’s singles player, has achieved her 50th consecutive match victory alongside her 10th title of the season.
An Se-young secured the championship trophy on the 25th at the Arena Paris Sud in Paris, France, defeating world No. 11 Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (India) 2-1 (16-21, 21-11, 21-12) in the women’s singles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour French Open (Super 750). Following her victories in 2019, 2024, and last year, she claimed the tournament’s title for the third consecutive year and the fourth time overall.
The descriptor ‘absolute powerhouse’ hardly does justice to her performance this season. An Se-young has recorded 66 wins against just 1}^{( ext{1})} loss in 67 official matches this year, maintaining a dominant season win rate of 98.5%. Having reached her 10th title of the season, she extended her winning streak to 50 matches, which began after she suffered a 0-2 defeat to world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi (China) in the All England Open final last March. She also widened her head-to-head record against Sindhu to 11 straight wins, nine of which were decisive 2-0 sweeps.
With top-tier rivals like Wang Zhiyi and Akane Yamaguchi (Japan, No. 3) having exited the tournament early, India’s national hero Sindhu failed to pose a threat to An. Although Sindhu took the first game 21-16 through aggressive and unconventional play from the start, she could not withstand An’s counter-attack once the Korean star read her patterns and accelerated the tempo. An comfortably wrapped up the next two games 21-11 and 21-12. Maintaining a solemn expression throughout the 61-minute match, An finally broke into a bright smile upon victory, treating the audience to her signature vibrant celebration.
The value of this championship trophy is all the more extraordinary given that it was achieved while overcoming an injury. An slipped during the final of the Denmark Open, which she played prior to this tournament, injuring her right Achilles tendon. Medical examinations revealed no severe injury, but the persistent pain remained. Competing with her right leg in less-than-ideal condition—wrapping heavy tape around her knee before every match—placed an immense burden on her.
A warning sign flashed during her semifinal match on the 24th. Facing Nozomi Okuhara (Japan, No. 9), An easily took the first game 21-12, but struggled in the second as she fell victim to her opponent’s broad-motion strategy, narrowly winning 21-19. She had to battle not only her opponent but also waning stamina and escalating pain. An voiced her difficulties, saying, “I try not to pay attention to my physical condition as much as possible, but it is true that it’s very tough,” adding, “The Achilles tendon pain is at a tolerable level, so I am playing through it.”>
For An Se-young, the remaining schedule this year is expected to be a bonus stage for setting new records. Out of the remaining five tournaments, including the year-end Finals, she plans to participate in three to four events. Capturing titles in two or more of these will surpass her own record for the most titles in a single season (11 wins), set last year. She is also highly likely to break Susi Susanti’s (Indonesia) historic record of 46 titles and achieve her 50th career victory milestone before the year ends. Surpassing her own record for the highest season win rate (94.8%) is also virtually guaranteed.
