World No. 1 An Se-young Returns to South Korea After Second World Title

South Korean badminton star An Se-young arrived at Incheon International Airport early Tuesday after winning her second career world title in the women's singles in New Delhi. The world No. 1 defeated Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 in the final to complete a six match run without losing a single game. This victory makes her the first Korean player to hold a world title in badminton singles.

An noted that this was her first competition since a left foot injury forced her to withdraw from the Japan Open in July. She admitted to reporters that she experienced lingering pain and some hesitation during the early stages of the tournament, though her condition improved as she progressed. An attributed her success to self belief and the hard work she put into her preparation.

Looking forward, An is shifting her focus to defending her Asian Games title next month in Japan. She expressed confidence in her ability to win a second straight gold medal, noting that her recent winning streak against Yamaguchi, who is the second ranked player in the world, is a positive sign. An stated that she intends to approach the competition with a mindset of having nothing to lose to put pressure on her opponents.

While most reports focused on her future goals and recovery from injury, center right framing emphasized the emotional aspect of her achievement, highlighting her smile and her statement that she prefers this gold medal over her previous title.