An Se-young Returns from Injury to Reach Badminton World Championships Round of 16

World women's singles badminton powerhouse An Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), who has returned to the court after shaking off an injury in about a month, has secured her spot in the Round of 16 of the World Championships.

World No. 1 An defeated world No. 53 Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan of Indonesia 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) in just 31 minutes during the women's singles Round of 32 at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships held in New Delhi, India.

Following her opening Round of 64 match, An played with caution while displaying her overwhelming skills, dominating the game from start to finish in today's (August 19) match.

An had temporarily paused her unstoppable winning streak after complaining of outer left foot pain at the Japan Open last month. She subsequently canceled all international tournament schedules to focus on rehabilitation for a month before making her comeback through this tournament.

Running through August 23, the World Championships are a major tournament boasting the highest prestige in badminton alongside the Summer Olympics.

Having won the World Championships singles title in 2023 in Copenhagen—a first for South Korean badminton history—An took home the bronze medal at last year's Paris event after losing to her archrival Chen Yufei of China in the semifinals.

Having successfully completed her return match after overcoming injury, An is now aiming to reclaim the world throne for the first time in three years through this tournament.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.