World No. 1 An Se-young has underlined her status as the leading force in women’s badminton with another dominant China Masters campaign, completing a hat-trick of titles in Shenzhen on Sunday.
The South Korean defeated Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki 21-17, 21-6 in the final to win the tournament for a third consecutive year. She became the first player to achieve three straight China Masters titles and did not drop a single game throughout the tournament.
The victory was also An’s seventh individual title of the 2026 season and extended her winning streak to 33 matches. She has now won 49 of her 50 matches this year, with her only defeat coming against China’s Wang Zhiyi in the All England final in March.
Source: Badminton Planet
Her latest success comes just weeks after she retained her world title, further highlighting her remarkable consistency at the highest level.
“I’m so proud of myself. I’m really pleased with the result and I feel so happy,” An said after adding another trophy to an already impressive season.
The 24-year-old will now turn her attention to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which begin on Sept 19. As the reigning Olympic and world champion, An will arrive as the clear favourite to defend her Asian Games women’s singles crown.
Despite her dominance, An remains wary of the growing challenge from the rest of the field.
“There are many players coming up and challenging,” she said, acknowledging that the women’s singles competition continues to produce strong contenders.
For now, however, An appears to be operating at another level. Her unbeaten run, seven titles and latest China Masters triumph have given her significant momentum heading into one of the biggest events of the year.
With the Asian Games just around the corner, the rest of the field will have to find a way to stop a player who has lost only once all season.
