'Shuttlecock queen' Ahn Se-young (24, Samsung Life Insurance) shed tears of regret for the first time in a long while. She lost the chance to become the first Korean player to win consecutive All England Open singles titles.
World No. 1 in women's singles Ahn Se-young lost in the women's singles final of the BWF World Tour 2026 All England Open (Super 1000) at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England, on the 9th (Korea time), to world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi (China) by a game score of 0-2 (15-21 19-21) and finished as runner-up.
With this loss, her 10-match winning streak against Wang Zhiyi was snapped. Before this match Ahn Se-young had met Wang Zhiyi 22 times, recording 18 wins and 4 losses and had reigned as a nemesis. In particular, she had won all 10 of their most recent head-to-head matches.
Wang Zhiyi, who had cried after losing to Ahn Se-young at last December's World Tour Finals, challenged herself for an 11th attempt in 10 years; ahead of this final she said, "Playing against Ahn Se-young is always a huge and difficult challenge. I will focus on how to play and on what I can control. I'll just go for it," throwing down the gauntlet.
Wang Zhiyi's dream came true. That day Ahn Se-young, uncharacteristically, made many unforced errors from the start. She even missed serves, and overall her shots did not cooperate, costing her the first game.
Conversely, Wang Zhiyi, who had come out determined, mounted tenacious defense and pressured Ahn Se-young. Ahn Se-young tried to counterattack in the second game, but luck at the net did not go her way and she could not turn it around. She rallied from 15-20 with four consecutive points to reach 19-20, but conceded the final point and relinquished the throne to Wang Zhiyi.
Had Ahn Se-young won this match, she would have extended her official winning streak to 37 and become the first Korean player to win back-to-back All England Open singles titles and to win the tournament three times. She first became champion at the 2023 tournament and reclaimed the title last year by defeating Wang Zhiyi in the final.
But this time Wang Zhiyi succeeded in revenge and claimed the All England Open title for the first time in her career. Having finally overcome Ahn Se-young's wall, Wang Zhiyi threw her racket, raised both arms high and wore a look of disbelief. Ahn Se-young offered applause and hugs to congratulate Wang Zhiyi.
However, Ahn Se-young could not hold back her tears after stepping down from the podium. As someone who raised 11 titles last year and always roared, she shed tears of sadness for the first time in a long while.
After the match Ahn Se-young told the All England Open in an interview, "I enjoyed my time in Birmingham and am heading home. I am sorry to my parents and the fans. Today was not the result I wanted," and vowed, "I will come back stronger to the court." The host encouraged her, saying, "You are someone who has given inspiration and joy to many girls and fans. You don't need to say sorry."
There was another reason Ahn Se-young felt more regret. That day her parents and grandparents had flown to Birmingham to watch the match in person. That seemed to have made her emotions surge even more.
Ahn Se-young wrote on social media, "Today was unfortunately not my day. I did my best, but my opponent played a better match. Congratulations to Wang Zhiyi on her first All England Open title," and added, "Still, I had a good time in Birmingham. Looking back on this match there are many areas to improve. I thank the fans who were with me at the venue. Your support always gives me great strength and keeps me moving forward. I will return stronger next time," leaving her thoughts on the tournament.
[Photo] All England Open social media.
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