An Se Young wins 2nd World Championships title, continues love affair with India

An Se Young swept aside Akane Yamaguchi to win her second World Championships title, extending her unbeaten record in India as Delhi's favourite celebrated another golden chapter.An Se Young won the BWF World Championships women's singles title. Courtesy: PTI“Let’s go, An Se Young, let’s go,” came the chants.If 8,000 people had turned up to root for home hopes Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand on Saturday, the stands at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi were packed again on Sunday, this time for the woman who has become one of their own.An Se Young probably draws more affection in Delhi than she does in Korea, and it was evident as she steamrolled three-time World champion Akane Yamaguchi in a one-sided women’s singles final.Also Read: History at BWF Worlds: Alex Lanier wins France's first-ever singles gold medal An Se Young turned up, and how, for the women’s singles final. The World No. 1 and reigning Olympic champion needed just 49 minutes to beat her familiar foe 21-17, 21-14.An had headed into the World Championships with a foot injury that had kept her out of action for a month, and she needed some time to find her rhythm. But the gulf between her and the rest of the field is such that she could afford that time on court. She did not drop a game all week, needing more than an hour only once, in her semi-final win over World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China. An Se Young steamrolls Akane Yamaguchi to win her second World title. Then Delhi’s darling turns showwoman, celebrating with the crowd that has adored her all week Still unbeaten in completed matches in India! pic.twitter.com/EqDWvhU7Ju— Akshay Ramesh (@iamnotakshayr) August 23, 2026An and Yamaguchi were meeting for the 35th time on tour, and another marathon was expected. But, much like Alex Lanier had made light work of Kodai Naraoka in the men’s singles final earlier in the day, An breezed through the challenge on Sunday.Backed by a packed house that had been waiting all week for another glimpse of her, An dialled up the aggression and never allowed Yamaguchi to settle into a rhythm. The Korean star was not willing to engage in the draining battles that have defined so many of her matches. Instead, she took risks and went for the kill whenever the opportunity presented itself.From the forecourt, An was on another level in the final. Her deft drops and sharp net play repeatedly opened up Yamaguchi, who struggled to cope with the intensity.Following the win, An became the showwoman she normally isn’t. She struck a bravo pose for the cameras before walking towards a section of the crowd and hitting the shuttle into the stands. Unlike Saturday, when she removed her famous ‘Rambo’ bandana and threw it into the crowd after beating Wang, she kept it on this time before celebrating with her coaches.There was something fitting about the scene.An has become a darling of the Delhi crowd, and the affection has been building throughout the week. She has acknowledged it at every turn, from waving to fans to bowing towards the stands. On Sunday, after winning her second World Championships title, she had no reason to hide her delight.Incidentally, An is yet to lose a completed badminton match in India. Having won the India Open in 2023, 2025 and 2026, the reigning Olympic champion has now added a second World Championships title to a trophy cabinet that was already overflowing.Her triumph in New Delhi further strengthens a resume that is already among the most decorated in modern badminton history. The reigning Olympic gold medallist from Paris 2024, she became South Korea’s first-ever women’s singles World champion in Copenhagen in 2023 before adding an Asian Games individual and team double in Hangzhou.With more than 30 BWF World Tour titles, including multiple All England, Malaysia and Singapore Open crowns, she has firmly established herself at World No. 1 and built an era of dominance rarely seen in the women’s game.What sets her apart is a combination of defensive resilience, court coverage and tactical discipline. Dubbed the ultimate “retriever”, her game is built on an ironclad defensive wall, immaculate footwork and an uncanny ability to turn high-pressure rallies into wars of attrition.On Sunday, though, she showed there is another side to her game.Delhi had asked her to put on a show.An Se Young delivered.- EndsPublished By: sabyasachi chowdhuryPublished On: Aug 23, 2026 18:31 IST