An Se-young weighs Korea Open withdrawal as injury concerns cloud 50-match winning streak

Nine days between a title and the next tournament

An Se-young has won 50 consecutive matches and 10 titles in 2026, but the world No. 1 returned to South Korea on October 27 with a more immediate concern than another trophy: whether her body can handle the Korea Open beginning November 3 in Yeosu.

The 24-year-old is considering withdrawing after winning the Denmark Open and French Open on consecutive weekends. She experienced discomfort around her right Achilles tendon in Denmark and played in France with support around her right knee and calf. Only nine days separate her French Open final on October 25 from the opening of South Korea's only BWF World Tour tournament.

A victory in Yeosu would bring her level with the 11 titles she won last year. Rest, however, could give her more recovery time before the season ends, with the BWF World Tour Finals still an important target. The Korea Open carries a total prize fund of $500,000, compared with $3 million at the Finals.

An remains entered in the Korea Open and is expected to travel to Yeosu before making her decision shortly before play begins. Her participation will depend on how she feels after resting.

An puts recovery before a commitment

An, speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport after returning from France, said she would assess her condition before committing to another tournament.

I will take some time off and try to recover. But if I still don't feel great, then I will not force the issue," she said. "I will keep a close eye on how my body feels and decide whether to play or not.

Her comments leave open both possibilities: competing in front of home supporters or extending her break. She also described plans to continue her recovery routine after returning to Korea.

An said her physical condition had not improved as much as she had expected during the European trip. Winning both tournaments gave her the results she wanted, but the discomfort followed her through the closing stages of the tour.

For fans planning to attend in Yeosu, the immediate issue is whether she can take the court. For An, the decision involves how much recovery she can achieve before another tournament begins, with further competition still ahead.

What happened to her right leg?

An appeared to roll her right ankle during the Denmark Open final against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi on October 18. She described a slippery court and pain near her right Achilles tendon during the deciding third game, but said she did not think she was injured at the time and continued playing.

The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel. Badminton repeatedly loads that area as players push off, jump, stop and change direction. Discomfort there matters because those movements are central to reaching the shuttle and recovering position for the next shot.

An subsequently competed at the French Open with her right knee taped. In the final, support was visible around both her knee and calf. No medical diagnosis or recovery timetable has been announced.

Her results in France show how successfully she continued competing while managing discomfort. After losing the opening game to India's P. V. Sindhu, she changed her approach and won the next two games by wide margins.

A comeback brought her tenth title

An defeated Sindhu 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 in the French Open final at Arena Grand Paris on October 25. The victory gave her a third consecutive French Open championship and her fourth title at the tournament.

Her season record now stands at 66 wins and one loss from 67 matches, a winning rate of approximately 98.5 percent. Her only defeat came against China's Wang Zhiyi in the All England Open final in March. Every match since then has ended in an An victory.

The French title followed women's singles gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September and victory in Denmark. After the Asian Games, she had roughly a week to regroup before beginning the European trip.

A Korea Open title would be her 11th of 2026, matching her total from 2025. Last year's achievement equalled the singles record Japan's Kento Momota set in 2019 and made An the first women's singles player to reach that number of titles in a season.

That milestone gives Yeosu sporting importance beyond a home appearance. Yet An has already identified recovery, rather than the chance to match a record, as the basis for deciding whether to compete.

A crowded calendar leaves little time to celebrate

An briefly marked her French Open victory by shaping a crown with her hands and placing it above her head. She explained that, with the season nearing its end, she wanted to celebrate her own efforts.

The world No. 1 also described how quickly the demands of the next event replace the excitement of winning. Speaking at the airport, she said:

I obviously love winning and I feel really happy in the moment. But I try to forget about those feelings the very next day.

An said the repeated cycle of tournaments gave her new goals while leaving little room to enjoy what she had achieved.

I constantly have new tournaments coming up, and I really don't have time to enjoy my victories. It is nice to give myself a new goal to accomplish but I am a little bummed that I don't get to enjoy these feelings to the fullest.

Her recent schedule shows how tightly those competitions have been packed together:

• September: An won women's singles gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
• October 18: She won the Denmark Open final after experiencing discomfort around her right Achilles tendon.
• October 25: She beat Sindhu to win the French Open.
• October 27: She returned to South Korea through Incheon International Airport.
• November 3-8: The Korea Open is scheduled in Yeosu, with semifinals on November 7 and finals on November 8.

The nine days between the French final and the Korea Open include the journey home from Europe. Her arrival on October 27 leaves one week before the tournament opens.

Why the World Tour Finals matters

The Korea Open is a Super 500 event, a tier within the Badminton World Federation's international tournament circuit. The French Open, which An has just won, is a Super 750 event. Those labels distinguish tournament levels within the tour.

The World Tour Finals provides a separate target at the end of the season. Its $3 million prize fund is six times the Korea Open's $500,000 purse. Both figures represent money shared across the tournament's events and finishing positions, rather than the amount paid to the women's singles champion.

For An, the choice involves more than the financial difference. Yeosu offers a rare opportunity to play a World Tour event at home and a chance to equal her annual title record. Taking a break would give her more time to recover before the closing part of her campaign.

Her public comments have focused on her physical condition. She has not announced a withdrawal or said that she will sacrifice the home event specifically for the Finals. The next step is to rest, assess her body and decide whether she can compete in Yeosu.

Yeosu is already losing major names

The Korea Open's field has been weakened by several withdrawals. South Korea's Kim Ga-eun, the 2024 women's singles champion, and the women's doubles pair Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee have pulled out.

Kim struggled with a thigh injury during the Asian Games and missed the women's team semifinal against Japan. Baek and Lee, who won both the world championships and Asian Games this year, also missed the Denmark and French Opens before withdrawing from Yeosu.

The men's singles withdrawals include defending Korea Open champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Denmark's Anders Antonsen and China's Shi Yu Qi. They occupied the first, second, fourth and sixth places in the rankings cited ahead of the tournament. Individual reasons for all those withdrawals have not been disclosed.

An's uncertainty therefore comes as the event is already missing several leading attractions. Her absence would remove another major name, and one with particular importance to Korean spectators.

Home supporters face an anxious wait

Tickets for the Korea Open semifinals and finals on November 7 and 8 were reported to have sold out as sales opened, with seating capacity of about 2,000. An's popularity has been a major part of the anticipation surrounding the tournament.

The event still has prominent players scheduled to compete. Japan's Yamaguchi and Tomoka Miyazaki remain on the women's singles entry list. In men's doubles, South Korea's Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho are expected to play, alongside Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.

An's presence would offer home supporters the chance to see a player whose only defeat in 67 matches came in March. Her decision now turns on whether the short interval after France is enough for her to feel ready for another competition.

Yeosu's tournament begins November 3. Until her final decision, the central development is that South Korea's leading player remains entered, but has openly reserved the option of resting.

Key Points

• An Se-young is considering skipping the November 3-8 Korea Open in Yeosu while she rests and assesses her condition.
• She has won 10 titles in 2026, with a 66-1 match record and 50 consecutive victories.
• She experienced discomfort near her right Achilles tendon in Denmark and wore support around her right knee and calf in France.
• Only nine days separate her French Open final from the Korea Open's opening day.
• A title in Yeosu would equal her total of 11 tournament victories last year.
• The World Tour Finals has a $3 million total purse, compared with $500,000 at the Korea Open.
• Several leading players have already withdrawn from Yeosu, while An remains entered pending her decision.