An Se-young earns the highest annual prize money in badminton history

The 23-year-old world number 1 displayed incredible consistency throughout the year. Her journey included dominant performances across all levels of the BWF World Tour. An Se-young captured 3 Super 1000 titles at the Malaysia Open, All England Open, and Indonesia Open. She added six Super 750 trophies to her collection, winning in India, Japan, China, Denmark, France, and Australia. She also secured a victory at the Orléans Masters (Super 300).

Most recently, An Se-young capped off her year by winning the prestigious BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou. In a demanding 96-minute final, she defeated China’s Wang Zhiyi with a score of 21-13, 18-21, 21-10. This 11th title of the season allowed her to equal the legendary record set by Japan’s Kento Momota in 2019. Statistically, her season was nearly flawless, finishing with 73 wins and only 4 losses, resulting in a record-breaking 94.8% winning percentage.

Beyond her trophy count, An Se-young has set a new financial benchmark for the sport. Her victory at the World Tour Finals earned her a $240,000 winner’s check, pushing her total season earnings to $1,003,175. This achievement makes her the first badminton player in history to earn more than $1 million in prize money in a single calendar year.

Furthermore, her career earnings have now reached $2,569,466. This figure surpasses the previous all-time record held by Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, who had accumulated approximately $2.28 million. By nearly doubling her own prize money record from 2023, An Se-young has proven that her commercial and competitive value is at an all-time high.

Despite her massive success, the Olympic champion remains hungry for more. After her latest victory, she shared on social media that she intends to return "even stronger in 2026" and aims to "break even more records." She confidently stated that her "prime has not come yet," signaling a warning to her competitors.

In the coming year, An Se-young has several major goals. She will look to defend her title at the Malaysia Open in January. More importantly, she aims to complete a "Grand Slam" by winning the Asian Championships in April. If successful, she would join Carolina Marin as the only women’s singles players to hold the Olympic, World, Continental, and Asian Games titles simultaneously.