She’s 18 and destined for glory. She is gifted and at her tender age has proven her might by overcoming some of the world’s leading Women’s Singles players.
Her pathway to success is clear and it will just be a matter of time before Asia’s rising star, An Se-Young of South Korea, claims the top prizes on offer in world badminton.
Se-Young created headlines in 2018 when she was selected to represent South Korea in its Uber Cup campaign.
Her selection was expected following a string of solid performances. It started with the national junior team that won the mixed team title at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. Her run continued at the Uber Cup with the team settling for bronze.
“I am proud to have represented my country in the 2018 Uber Cup at Bangkok,” Se-Young was reported to have told the Korean national news agency.
Se-Young, who won the Irish Open 2018, was particularly thrilled to have battled alongside national stars like Sung Ji Hyun. “I have idolised Ji Hyun since my pre-teen days.”
Competing with her illustrious teammates and against some of the world’s best fired Se-Young up. She would soon embark on an amazing journey that would see her enjoy a meteoric rise that would include a famous victory on home soil at the Korea Masters.
At the 2019 New Zealand Open, the youngster scored a stunning win over Olympic Champion Li Xue Rui in the final, signaling her arrival into the big league. She would also pick up titles at the Canada Open and the Akita Masters.
Then, in October 2019, she would claim the prized French Open crown, disposing Spanish star Carolina Marin in the final. Her success was especially sweet as she would defeat Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi and Sania Nehwal along the way.
It was no surprise that she was later awarded BWF’s Most Promising Player of the Year in 2019.
She enjoyed an interesting start this year where she reached the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters and the final of the Thailand Masters which she lost to Akane.
Like all the other players, Se-Young, currently ranked ninth, will be eager to get back into action to get her campaign back on track and start winning more titles this year.
