An Se-young wins 47th singles title at Denmark Open, a women's record
In short
An Se-young (安세영) of South Korea beat Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-23, 21-14, 21-18 in the Denmark Open women's singles final in Odense on 18 October. The BWF said the win was her 47th international singles title, a record in women's singles, passing Indonesia's Susi Susanti, who had 46. An then left for the French Open in Paris.
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An Se-young (안세영) of Samsung Life beat Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-23, 21-14, 21-18 in the women's singles final of the Denmark Open, a BWF World Tour Super 750 event, in Odense on 18 October. The BWF announced on 19 October that it was An's 47th international singles title, a record in women's singles. The previous best was 46 titles by Indonesia's Susi Susanti, and Spain's Carolina Marin is third with 39. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 ]
Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily say the BWF counts singles titles only from 1999, while CBS NoCut News and Dong-A Ilbo say 1989. Team events such as the Uber Cup and the Asia team championships are excluded and only individual events count. An's gold at the Asian Games, where she became the first women's singles player to win it twice in a row, was included. [ 1 , 2 , 8 , 9 ]
An lost the first game after a deuce, won the second, and trailed 5-11 at the interval of the third after feeling discomfort in her right ankle, according to CBS NoCut News and Chosun Ilbo. Chosun Ilbo reports that she won the match when Yamaguchi's return at 20-18 went out of court. An said she slipped because the court conditions were difficult, and that she would decide what to do after checking her condition and consulting her trainer. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
In an interview with the BWF, An said she wanted to make more history and break records but focused on one match at a time. She called Yamaguchi her best rival and also named China's Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei as rivals, saying rivalry makes her a better player. Newsis reports that she has won 10 straight matches against Yamaguchi and leads their head-to-head 24-15. [ 5 , 6 , 9 ]
An's record this year is 61 wins and 1 loss in 62 matches, a win rate of 98.4%, with nine titles. Her only loss came in the March All England Open final against Wang Zhiyi. Seoul Economic Daily reports that three more titles this season would give her 12, a sole single-season record; she tied the record of 11 last year. Outlets say she plays the French Open in Paris, running from 20 to 25 October according to Newsis and Seoul Economic Daily, while Dong-A Ilbo gives 21 October as the start. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
Dong-A Ilbo and Korea Economic Daily report that the BWF's social media posts called An an all-time great and said 'Take a bow', with Dong-A Ilbo adding a goat emoji. A Chosun Ilbo report says opinion on whether An is the greatest is divided, as some Indonesian fans say Susanti remains greater. Another says China's NetEase reported on her record. [ 9 , 11 , 14 , 15 ]
Why it matters
Korean outlets present the title as a new all-time mark in women's singles. They also say An now has a chance at a single-season title record, needing three more wins this season for a sole record of 12.
Key facts
- An Se-young beat Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 2-1 (21-23, 21-14, 21-18) in the Denmark Open (BWF World Tour Super 750) women's singles final in Odense on 18 October. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- The BWF said the title was An's 47th international singles title, a record in women's singles, ahead of Susi Susanti of Indonesia (46). [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 11 ]
- Carolina Marin of Spain is third on the list with 39 titles. [ 1 , 2 , 8 ]
- An has a record of 61 wins and 1 loss in 62 matches this year, a win rate of 98.4%. [ 3 , 6 , 8 , 12 ]
- It was An's ninth title of the year; her one loss this year came in the All England Open final in March, to Wang Zhiyi of China. [ 3 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- She is playing the French Open in Paris, which runs from 20 to 25 October according to two outlets. [ 5 , 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- An Se-young won the Denmark Open women's singles final over Akane Yamaguchi 21-23, 21-14, 21-18. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- The BWF announced that An's 47th international singles title is a record in women's singles, surpassing Susi Susanti's 46. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 11 ]
- BWF counts only individual events; team events such as the Uber Cup and Asia team championships are excluded, while An's Asian Games gold is included. [ 1 , 2 , 8 ]
- An's record this year is 61 wins and 1 loss (98.4%). [ 3 , 6 , 8 , 12 ]
Still unclear
- The year from which BWF counts singles titles. Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily say 1999, while CBS NoCut News, Dong-A Ilbo say 1989.
- How many individual events An has entered this year. Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily say nine, CBS NoCut News and Korea Economic Daily say 10, and Chosun Ilbo says 11 including one she withdrew from in July. Seoul Economic Daily says she won eight of nine, while other outlets count nine titles.
- When the French Open starts. Most outlets say 20 October, while Dong-A Ilbo says 21 October.
- Whether An's right ankle problem will affect her schedule. She said she would decide what to do after checking her condition and consulting her trainer; no document reports the outcome.
- Whether An is the greatest women's singles player of all time. A Chosun Ilbo report says opinion is divided, with some Indonesian fans saying Susanti remains greater; the documents give only a summary of that argument.