An Se Young's projected path to BWF World Championships 2025 final

An Se Young enters the BWF World Championships 2025 as the defending champion.

An Se Young is South Korea’s badminton superstar and the current World No. 1 in women’s singles. The 23-year-old made history by becoming the Paris 2024 Olympic champion and is the reigning World Champion from 2023.

She holds the distinction of being South Korea’s first female singles No. 1 since Atlanta 1996 Olympic champion Bang Soo-hyun.

An started 2025 in dominant fashion, winning the Malaysia and India Opens in January. She followed up with titles at the Orleans Masters and All England Open in March.

She has already secured three Super 1000 titles this year. Although she was forced to retire due to injury in the China Open semifinals against Han Yue, An enters the World Championships as the overwhelming favorite to defend her crown.

Here’s a look at An Se Young’s projected path to the BWF World Championships 2025 final based on the draw.

R64 – Clara Lassaux

An opens against Belgium’s Clara Lassaux, a qualifier who presents a comfortable first-round test. The Korean should advance easily here, using this match to find her rhythm and assess her fitness after the China Open injury concerns. Clara is currently ranked 100 in the world.

Also Read: BWF World Championships: Full list of title winners

R32 – Yvonne Li

In the second round, An would likely face Germany’s Yvonne Li, a solid European player but well within An’s comfort zone. This should be another straightforward victory for the top seed against the German world number 55, as she builds toward the tougher challenges ahead.

R16 – Michelle Li / Natsuki Nidaira

The pre-quarterfinals would see An face either Canada’s Michelle Li, the number 16 seed, or Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira. Li brings experience and has been consistent on the World Tour, while Nidaira represents Japan’s emerging talent.

Either opponent would provide a step up in quality, but An’s superior ranking and form should see her advance comfortably.

Quarter-final – Gregoria Mariska Tunjung / Sim Yu Jin

This is where the draw becomes serious. An could face Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, the number 7 seed and Paris Olympics Bronze medallist, or Korea’s Sim Yu Jin, the number 12 seed. Tunjung’s experience could pose problems, while facing compatriot Sim Yu Jin would bring its own unique pressures.

Though the Indonesian has never defeated An before and trails head to head 11-0, she has proven to be a big match player.

Also Read: An Se Young: New undisputed face in women’s singles badminton

Semi-final – Chen Yufei / Ratchanok Intanon

In the semifinals, An would likely meet either the number 4 seed, China’s Chen Yufei, or Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon, the number 10 seed. Chen, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, has been dominated by An recently, including at the 2025 China Open, where An won 21-18, 21-19.

Chen’s head-to-head stands 13-13 against An; she has only won once in their five meetings in 2025. At the same time, Ratchanok brings vast experience and remains dangerous despite her current ranking of world number 10.

Final – Wang Zhi Yi / Han Yue

From the other half of the draw, the most probable finalists are the number 2 and 3 seeds, China’s Wang Zhi Yi and Han Yue. Wang has been in excellent form throughout 2025, winning multiple titles.

Han was leading when An retired injured at the China Open semifinals, giving the Chinese player psychological confidence for a potential showdown in the final.

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