An Se-young (Samsung Life), the reigning "Queen of Badminton," achieved her third consecutive title at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour China Masters (Super 750) on September 6.
The world No. 1 defeated Japan's world No. 9, Tomoka Miyazaki, in the women's singles final at the Shenzhen Arena, winning in straight games 2-0 (21-17, 21-6) in just 45 minutes.
This victory marks An's third consecutive win at the China Masters, following her triumphs in 2024 and 2025. Notably, she has recorded a "perfect victory" in two consecutive tournaments, not dropping a single game since the World Championships concluded last month, showcasing her peak performance.
Additionally, An maintained her dominance over Miyazaki, extending her head-to-head record to 8-0.
The first game was tightly contested, with the score tied at 9-9. An seized the lead and capitalized on an opponent's error to score four consecutive points, ultimately winning the first game 21-17.
In the second game, An intensified her attack, quickly scoring eight points in a row to widen the gap, finishing the match comfortably at 21-6.
This season, An has been exceptional. Since her loss in the All England Open final in March, she has embarked on a 33-match winning streak, claiming victory in 10 tournaments, including team events. Her season record stands at 49 wins and 1 loss, maintaining a remarkable 98% win rate, surpassing her previous record of 94.8% (72 wins, 4 losses) set last year.
Looking ahead, An's prospects for the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, starting on September 19, are promising. She aims to defend her women's singles title, having won both the singles and team events at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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