An Se-young

An Se-young: South Korea's Badminton GOAT

An Se-young (안세영) was born on February 5, 2002, in Gwangju, South Korea. Growing up inspired by Korean badminton legends she watched on television, she picked up a racket at a remarkably young age and quickly demonstrated a rare combination of tactical intelligence, footwork, and composure that set her apart from peers years older.

Her rise was nothing short of extraordinary. By 2015, at just 13 years old, she was already competing at the Asian Junior Championships. A year later in 2016, she swept four consecutive U15 junior titles across Jakarta, Tokyo, and Seoul — foreshadowing the relentless winning that would define her senior career.

In 2017, aged just 15, An represented South Korea at the Asian Junior Championships mixed team event, helping her country claim gold. That same year, she made history by becoming the first junior high school student ever selected for the South Korean national senior team — a milestone that announced her as the country's most exciting young talent.

She made her senior international breakthrough at the 2018 Irish Open, winning her first senior title. But 2019 was her true coming-out year on the global stage. She captured her first BWF World Tour title at the New Zealand Open, defeating 2012 Olympic champion Li Xuerui in the final. She then added four more titles that year — the Canada Open, Akita Masters, French Open, and Korea Masters — vaulting into the world's top 10 and earning the BWF Most Promising Player of the Year award.

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the 2020 season, but An returned stronger in 2021, winning three back-to-back titles in Bali — the Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open, and the prestigious BWF World Tour Finals — establishing herself as a genuine title contender at the sport's highest level.

In 2022, she claimed the Uber Cup gold as part of South Korea's women's team and won three BWF World Tour titles (Korea Open, Malaysia Masters, Australia Open), reaching the bronze medal podium at both the Asian and World Championships.

Then came 2023 — the year An Se-young rewrote Korean badminton history. She won eight titles out of ten finals on the BWF World Tour, including the All England Open (a Super 1000), and became the first ever Korean woman to win the BWF World Championships, defeating Spain's Carolina Marín 21-12, 21-10 in the Copenhagen final. She followed that by winning the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou — South Korea's first women's singles Asian Games gold in 29 years. On August 1, 2023, she ascended to BWF World No. 1, a position no Korean woman had held since Bang Soo-hyun in 1996. The BWF awarded her the Female Player of the Year for the first time.

The 2024 season brought new challenges — shoulder inflammation forced her to miss some early tournaments — but An returned and delivered the moment Korean badminton had waited 28 years for. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she defeated China's He Bingjiao 21-13, 21-10 in the final to claim Olympic gold, completing South Korea's long-awaited return to the top of women's badminton. She was simultaneously battling knee discomfort throughout the tournament, making the victory even more remarkable. Following the triumph, she publicly criticised the Korean Badminton Association's management, sparking a national conversation about athlete welfare and training freedoms — a move that led to structural reforms in 2025.

In 2025, An returned with a vengeance. She won 11 titles in a single season — including the Malaysia Open, India Open, Orléans Masters, All England Open, Indonesia Open, Japan Open, China Masters, Denmark Open, French Open, Australian Open, and the BWF World Tour Finals — equalling Kento Momota's long-standing record of most titles in one season. Her season prize earnings exceeded 1 billion Korean won (approximately $750,000 USD), a first for any Korean badminton player, while her career prize money surpassed $2.2 million USD. She was also elected to the BWF Athletes' Commission and named BWF Female Player of the Year for the third consecutive time.

Entering 2026, An has continued her dominance, winning the Malaysia Open and India Open back-to-back in January, and leading South Korea to the Asia Team Championships title in April 2026. She then capped a remarkable run by leading South Korea to the Uber Cup 2026 title on May 3 in Horsens, Denmark — defeating China 3-1 in the final, with An personally defeating Wang Zhiyi 21-10, 21-13 in the opening match. It was South Korea's third Uber Cup title overall (2010, 2022, 2026). Her current career record stands at approximately 432 wins and 75 losses — an ~84% win rate — at the BWF World Tour level.

Playing Style: An is renowned for her incredible defensive recovery, precise court coverage, elite-level footwork, and ability to transition seamlessly from defense to attack within a single rally. Her cross-court shots, drop-shot combinations, and diagonal anti-smash return are particular strengths. Chinese sports media have described her as "one of the most complete players in badminton history," with some analysts suggesting she is the sport's Greatest of All Time.

Personal Life & Character: An plays right-handed, stands 1.70m (5'7") tall, and trains primarily with head coach Lee Hyun-il. Off the court, she is known to enjoy K-pop (she has recommended DAY6's music to teammates), supports the Samsung Life Insurance WKBL basketball team, and has donated prize money to youth badminton development. She uses the Yonex Astrox 77 Pro racket strung with BG80 string at 28-29 lbs tension, and wears Yonex Power Cushion Aerus Z2 shoes.