Crown on, title four
When An Se Young landed the 21st point of the decider on Sunday, she turned toward the photographers and mimed placing a crown on her own head. She had earned the moment. The South Korean beat India’s Pusarla V. Sindhu 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 in the women’s singles final of the French Open in Tremblay, near Paris.
It is her fourth title at the tournament, a record there, and the 48th international crown of her career. It is also her 10th of 2026.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
One defeat all year
The numbers explain why the 24-year-old is called untouchable. Across 2026 she has won 66 matches and lost one, a 98.5 percent success rate. Her current run stands at 50 consecutive victories, which leaves her nine short of the unbeaten record held by Indonesia’s Susi Susanti, the star of the 1990s.
An is already an Olympic champion and a two-time world champion, and the debate about whether she is the greatest women’s player in the sport’s history now runs mainly through Susanti’s name.
Tired, but not finished
Sindhu took the first game before An found her level. The champion spent the week saying she was worn out by the run of tournaments, though she enjoyed playing in France. “The atmosphere is incredible in Paris. I feel the crowd loves badminton,” she said. She planned to celebrate with a big dinner on Sunday night and decide afterwards whether to keep playing this season.
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