Returning from injury, world No. 1 badminton player An Se-young (Samsung Life) marked her comeback at the World Championships with a decisive victory.
According to Yonhap News, An Se-young defeated Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova, ranked 40th in the world, in the women's singles round of 64 at the 2026 BWF World Championships held in New Delhi, India, on August 17 (Korean time), with a score of 2-0 (21-14, 21-13), advancing to the round of 32.
An, who had to pause her winning streak due to pain in her left foot during the Japan Open last month, focused on rehabilitation and delayed her participation in international competitions. Although she showed some struggle early in the first game, she quickly regained her dominance.
After a tight start at 9-9 in the first game, An scored six consecutive points to take a 15-9 lead. In the second game, she again faced a close match at 11-11 but pulled ahead with five straight points to secure her victory.
The World Championships, running until August 23, is one of the most prestigious events in badminton, alongside the Summer Olympics. An Se-young, who made history by winning Korea's first singles title at the 2023 Copenhagen Championships, aims to reclaim the title after winning a bronze medal at last year's Paris event.
Meanwhile, Kim Ga-eun (Samsung Life), ranked 12th in the world, also had a smooth start in the women's singles. She defeated Egypt's Nour Ahmed Yousri (ranked 128th) in just 23 minutes with a score of 2-0 (21-7, 21-5), joining the round of 32.
According to Yonhap News, An Se-young defeated Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova, ranked 40th in the world, in the women's singles round of 64 at the 2026 BWF World Championships held in New Delhi, India, on August 17 (Korean time), with a score of 2-0 (21-14, 21-13), advancing to the round of 32.
An, who had to pause her winning streak due to pain in her left foot during the Japan Open last month, focused on rehabilitation and delayed her participation in international competitions. Although she showed some struggle early in the first game, she quickly regained her dominance.
After a tight start at 9-9 in the first game, An scored six consecutive points to take a 15-9 lead. In the second game, she again faced a close match at 11-11 but pulled ahead with five straight points to secure her victory.
The World Championships, running until August 23, is one of the most prestigious events in badminton, alongside the Summer Olympics. An Se-young, who made history by winning Korea's first singles title at the 2023 Copenhagen Championships, aims to reclaim the title after winning a bronze medal at last year's Paris event.
Meanwhile, Kim Ga-eun (Samsung Life), ranked 12th in the world, also had a smooth start in the women's singles. She defeated Egypt's Nour Ahmed Yousri (ranked 128th) in just 23 minutes with a score of 2-0 (21-7, 21-5), joining the round of 32.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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