An Se Young, Popov Win BWF World Tour Finals Titles

In Hangzhou, China, South Korea's An Se Young claimed the women's singles title at the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals on Sunday, defeating China's Wang Zhiyi 21-13, 18-21, 21-10 in a grueling three-game match that lasted 96 minutes. The victory marked An's 11th title of the year, equaling the record set by Japan's Kento Momota for the most singles crowns in a calendar year.

An, the Paris Olympics champion, overcame visible leg cramps in the decider to secure her second World Tour Finals triumph, following her 2021 win. The match showcased tactical battles, with Wang surging early in the first game through a six-point run before An responded with an eight-point streak to take control. Wang leveled the score in the second by raising her tempo and exploiting positioning errors, but An elevated her intensity in the third, producing a seven-point burst after leading 8-6 to break her opponent's resistance.

The 73-match season for An ended with 73 wins, a 95 percent success rate that surpasses the peaks of badminton legends like China's Lin Dan and Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei. Her earnings exceeded $1 million, a first in the sport's history, including the $240,000 winner's prize from this...