An Se Young continued her impressive run in women’s badminton with a convincing opening-round victory at the Denmark Open, but it was her comments about a possible move into women’s doubles that caught fans’ attention.
The South Korean star, who won Olympic gold at Paris 2024, needed little time to overcome Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova, ranked world No. 41, winning 21-13, 21-11 in Odense to book her place in the second round.
An Se Young has enjoyed another remarkable season, winning nine of the 11 tournaments she has entered this year. Her consistency and ability to control matches have made her one of the most difficult players to beat on the international circuit.
However, when the conversation turned to whether she might explore other disciplines, the world No. 1 offered an unexpected answer.
Asked jokingly about playing men’s singles, An Se Young quickly dismissed the idea, saying, “What are you talking about? No, no. I love women’s singles.”
The possibility of women’s doubles, however, received a much warmer response. An Se Young showed interest in the idea and named compatriots Kim Ga Eun, ranked world No. 13, and Sim Yu Jin, ranked world No. 16, as potential partners, praising their ability in doubles.
Her comments were made in a light-hearted exchange and do not necessarily signal plans to compete in another discipline. For now, women’s singles remains her main focus as she continues her pursuit of more titles.
Still, the suggestion offered an interesting glimpse into the champion’s playful side. With her current form and growing list of achievements, even the thought of An Se Young testing herself in a new event is enough to spark discussion among badminton fans.
