Source:REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
[Saba Sports News] An Se-young lost to Wang Zhiyi in the women’s singles final at the 2026 All England Open Badminton Championships held at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, UK, with a score of 0-2 (15-21, 19-21). Wang Zhiyi, the world number two, has finally overcome the mountain of world number one An Se-young. On March 12, Chen Yufei commented in an interview about Wang Zhiyi’s victory over An Se-young, stating that in competitive sports, no one can win all the time, just like when she defeated An Se-young in the semifinals of last year’s World Championships, when neither fans nor media expected her to win, yet she did. In the future, more Chinese female players will overcome An Se-young.
On March 13, South Korean media outlet SPORTALKOREA published an article seemingly responding to Chen Yufei’s remarks, titled “Wang Zhiyi No Longer Wishes to Train in the Morning After Defeating An Se-young; Chinese Fans Hope She Continues to Strive.” The core viewpoint of the article was clear: don’t celebrate too early; a single victory doesn’t define the situation. The strongest argument made by the South Korean media was based on the historical record of their encounters. Even counting this victory, An Se-young’s overall record against Wang Zhiyi remains 18 wins to 5 losses, showing a clear advantage.
In the editor’s opinion, the title and content of the South Korean media article exhibit a clear emotional tendency. Phrases like “no longer wishing to train in the morning” lack objective data or official sources to support them, leaning more towards public opinion guidance rather than factual reporting.