One win from a tenth title
An Se-young extended her winning streak to 49 matches by defeating Japan's Nozomi Okuhara 21-12, 21-19 in the French Open semifinals on October 24, 2026. The world No. 1 needed 45 minutes at Arena Grand Paris in Tremblay-en-France to move within one victory of her tenth title of the season.
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India's P. V. Sindhu will stand across the net in the October 25 final after beating Japan's Hina Akechi 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in 73 minutes. An has won all 10 of her previous meetings with Sindhu, who arrives with a title from the Japan Open and another chance to break that losing sequence.
An's season record now stands at 65 wins and one defeat, a winning percentage of approximately 98.5%. Her only loss came against China's Wang Zhiyi in the All England Open final in March. Every completed match since then has ended in victory.
The South Korean, 24, is also pursuing a fourth French Open championship and a third consecutive title at the tournament. Her progress has come despite Achilles tendon pain during the Denmark Open final a week earlier and her subsequent admission that playing has become physically difficult.
Seven points turn the semifinal
Okuhara, ranked ninth in the world, was facing An for the second time in a week. An had won their Denmark Open semifinal 21-16, 21-8 on October 17, and she again controlled the opening game in France, reaching the interval with an 11-5 lead before closing it out 21-12.
The second game demanded a more difficult response. Okuhara moved ahead 7-3, creating a four point gap and an opportunity to extend the match. An answered with seven consecutive points, turning that deficit into a 10-7 advantage.
Okuhara kept challenging. An led 11-9 at the interval, but the Japanese player drew level at 11-11 and later narrowed the score to 20-19. With An holding match point, an error from Okuhara ended the contest.
The closing exchanges explain why the straight games score alone misses part of the story. An won the opener by nine points but the second by only two. She had to recover from an early deficit and then protect the smallest possible lead at the finish.
An now holds a 7-0 record against Okuhara. Their two semifinals in successive weeks also show a change in the challenge: Okuhara scored eight points in the second game in Denmark, compared with 19 in France.
A season of wins, with one withdrawal
An's 65 victories from 66 completed matches produce a winning percentage of 98.48%, rounded to 98.5%. Her 49 consecutive wins account for roughly three quarters of those season victories, showing how long she has sustained her run since March.
Her title total stands at nine entering the French Open final. Those victories include the Malaysia Open, India Open, world championships and Asian Games. Winning on October 25 would bring her to 10 for the season.
The season also includes a tournament she could not finish. An withdrew through injury in the round of 16 at the Japan Open in July. The fuller tournament tally is nine titles from 11 individual international events before France, alongside the All England runner up finish and the Japan withdrawal; the initial account counted nine appearances while describing her title run.
A withdrawal is recorded separately from a completed defeat, which explains how an interrupted tournament can sit alongside the 65-1 match record. Sindhu went on to win that Japan Open, giving the French final an additional connection between their seasons.
Four rounds without dropping a game
An reached the final by winning all eight games she played across four rounds. Her opening match against Denmark's Amalie Schulz lasted just 25 minutes and ended 21-6, 21-4.
India's Tanvi Sharma offered greater resistance in the round of 16, but An won 21-11, 21-14. She then defeated China's Han Yue 21-13, 21-16 in the quarterfinals before overcoming Okuhara.
Across those four matches, An scored 168 points and conceded 95, a difference of 73. Okuhara's second game was the closest any opponent came to taking a game from her during that run.
Two leading rivals, Wang Zhiyi and Akane Yamaguchi, were eliminated in the round of 16. Their exits removed potential obstacles, while An continued through the draw without needing a deciding game.
The French Open is a Super 750 event on the Badminton World Federation World Tour, placing it among the circuit's leading tournaments. An's route to its final has combined short early matches with a much tighter test in the last four.
Physical strain behind the winning streak
An complained of Achilles tendon pain during the Denmark Open final on October 18. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel and helps a player push off, jump and change direction, movements repeated throughout a badminton match.
An, who represents Samsung Life Insurance, discussed her condition after her French Open quarterfinal on October 23. She described both the difficulty of continuing and her determination to compete.
I am very grateful to be able to play. I try not to worry too much about my physical condition, but it is quite tough.
An then explained why she wanted to remain on court.
However, my desire to play and perform well is even stronger,
No detailed medical diagnosis or recovery timetable was given. Her comments put the semifinal in a different context: she was managing physical discomfort while trying to preserve her winning run and reach another final.
The semifinal schedules also leave the finalists with different amounts of recent court time. Sindhu played for 73 minutes, 28 minutes longer than An's 45 minute match. An's shorter semifinal gives her less match time to recover from, although her tendon discomfort remains part of her preparation.
Sindhu earns another chance against An
Sindhu, ranked 11th, reached the final by overcoming a changing and increasingly demanding contest against Akechi. The Japanese player had already beaten two opponents from the world's top 10 during the tournament.
Sindhu took the first game 21-10, but Akechi responded by making the Indian cover more of the court. The second game stayed close through its final stages before Akechi won 22-20 and forced a decider.
Badminton games are normally played to 21 points, with a player needing a two point lead. That is why the second game continued beyond 20-20. Akechi won the next two points to keep her tournament alive.
Sindhu led 11-9 at the deciding game's interval. Akechi later erased a five point deficit to draw level at 14-14, but Sindhu pulled away again and finished the match 21-16.
The victory secured Sindhu's second Super 750 final of 2026 after her Japan Open triumph in July. Her varied attacks, including flatter smashes and softer shots close to the net, helped her find openings against an opponent who repeatedly extended rallies.
An presents a different challenge. Sindhu's record against her stands at 0-10, while the South Korean has yet to lose a game in this tournament. Sindhu brings the confidence of another title this season and a hard earned semifinal victory, but she must reverse a record that has so far been entirely in An's favour.
French titles and a season record in reach
An first won the French Open in 2019, then added titles in 2024 and 2025. She withdrew from the 2023 edition through injury. Her latest victory puts her into the final for a third consecutive edition.
A win against Sindhu would deliver three achievements at once: a tenth title this season, a fourth French Open crown and a third consecutive championship at the event. Those are separate milestones, with the first measuring her season and the other two measuring her success in France.
An won 11 titles last season, matching Japan's Kento Momota for the most singles titles in one season. A tenth championship would leave her one short of that mark and two short of surpassing it.
She has also been credited with 47 international singles titles across her career, moving past Indonesian great Susi Susanti's total of 46. That career tally covers a longer span than either the current season count or the French Open record.
The dates behind the final
An's route to the championship match stretches from her only completed defeat of the season in March to two successive tournament runs in Europe. The key dates show how the winning streak, injury concern and title pursuit have converged.
- March 2026: An loses the All England Open final to Wang Zhiyi, her only completed match defeat of the season.
- July 2026: An withdraws through injury in the Japan Open round of 16. Sindhu wins the tournament.
- October 17: An defeats Okuhara 21-16, 21-8 in the Denmark Open semifinals.
- October 18: An experiences Achilles tendon pain during the Denmark Open final and wins the title.
- October 23: An discusses physical discomfort after advancing through the French Open quarterfinals.
- October 24: An defeats Okuhara in 45 minutes, while Sindhu beats Akechi in 73 minutes to complete the final pairing.
- October 25: An and Sindhu are scheduled to contest the French Open women's singles final.
The final now brings together a player chasing a 50th consecutive victory and an opponent seeking her first win in their rivalry. For An, the immediate task is to turn another unbeaten run through the early rounds into a trophy while managing her physical condition.
Sindhu's task is equally concrete: recover from three demanding games, then find a way past the player who has beaten her in all 10 previous meetings. Their October 25 encounter will decide whether An reaches double figures for titles this season or Sindhu adds France to her Japan Open success.
Key Points
- An Se-young beat Nozomi Okuhara 21-12, 21-19 in 45 minutes to reach the French Open final.
- Her winning streak reached 49 matches, with a season record of 65 wins and one defeat.
- P. V. Sindhu defeated Hina Akechi 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 to secure the other final place.
- An leads Sindhu 10-0 in their previous meetings.
- An is seeking her tenth title of the season, fourth French Open title and third consecutive championship in France.
- The final is scheduled for October 25, 2026.
