An Se-young

An Se-young, born on February 5, 2002, in Gwangju, South Korea, is a world-renowned badminton player currently ranked number one globally as of December 2024. Known for her exceptional skills in women’s singles, she has an impressive career record of 317 wins and 65 losses. She made history by becoming the first Korean women’s singles player to win the BWF World Championships in 2023 and claimed South Korea’s first Olympic gold in the event since 1996 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Her early career began with significant achievements in junior tournaments. She became the youngest national team member in South Korea’s history at age 15 and played a vital role in major team victories, including the Uber Cup and Asian Games. Her accomplishments earned her numerous accolades, including BWF’s Most Promising Player in 2019 and Female Player of the Year in 2023.

List of An Se-young’s Achievements (Junior to 2024)

Junior Achievements:

• 2015: Won the U15 Korea Junior Open.
• 2016: Dominated U15 junior events, winning the Jakarta Open, Jaya Raya Junior Grand Prix, Asian Junior Championships, and Korea Junior Open.
• 2017: Secured the Asian Junior Mixed Team title and a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships.

Senior Career Highlights:

• 2018:
  • Debuted on the senior national team as the youngest member.
  • Won her first senior international title at the Irish Open.
• 2019:
  • Claimed her first BWF World Tour title at the New Zealand Open.
  • Won Canada Open, Akita Masters, French Open, and Korea Masters.
  • Entered the world top 10 rankings.
• 2021:
  • Won titles at Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open, and BWF World Tour Finals.
  • Runner-up at Denmark Open.
• 2022:
  • Gold medalist in the Uber Cup and Asian Games Women’s Team events.
  • Won Korea Open, Malaysia Masters, and Australian Open.
  • Bronze medals at the Asian and World Championships.
• 2023:
  • Became the first Korean to win the BWF World Championships in Women’s Singles.
  • Gold medalist at the Asian Games (Women’s Singles and Team).
  • Topped the world rankings, winning 8 BWF World Tour titles.
• 2024:
  • Gold medalist in Women’s Singles at the Paris Olympics.
  • Won the Malaysia Open, French Open, and Singapore Open.