Source:REUTERS/Paul Childs
[Saba Sports News] Indian badminton legend Aparna Popat could not hide her surprise after witnessing An Se-young’s performance. In the women’s singles final of the 2026 BWF World Tour Super 750 Indian Open held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, An Se-young defeated China’s Wang Zhi Yi 2-0 (21-13, 21-11). This victory marked her second title in 2026, following her win at the Malaysia Badminton Open. Regarding this, Popat expressed that she had known about An’s excellent footwork for a long time, but what stood out the most was her calm demeanor. Her remarkable focus and discipline during the match left a strong impression. Popat also compared An Se-young to artificial intelligence, stating that if someone were to create an AI robot to simulate badminton match scenarios and analyze the most suitable hitting points and timing, in about 80% of the cases, the shots An hits during a rally would align with those chosen by the model.
The editor believes that An Se-young can adjust her speed based on the situation and can also slow down the tempo—she has the ability to do as she wishes on the court. But fundamentally, she always makes the right choices. Delivering such performances in every match is extremely challenging. Perhaps, the only thing that could defeat An Se-young is an injury.