An Se-young withdraws from China Open semifinal due to knee injury

An Se-young hits a return to China's Han Yue during their women's singles semifinal at the China Open badminton tournament in Changzhou, in China's eastern Jiangsu province, Saturday. AFP-Yonhap

Korean badminton star An Se-young withdrew from the China Open semifinals to protect her knee, ending her bid for a historic sweep of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 1000 series this year.

An retired during her women’s singles semifinal match against China’s Han Yue at the China Open on Saturday, part of the BWF Super 1000 series, held in Changzhou in Jiangsu province. After dropping the first set 18-21, An trailed 6-11 in the second before deciding to forfeit the match.

Her withdrawal dashed hopes of completing the first-ever “Super 1000 Slam,” as she had already won three of the tour’s four top-tier events this year, including the Malaysia Open, All England Open and Indonesia Open. She had also claimed titles at the India Open, Japan Open, and Orléans Masters.

A Korea Badminton Association official said An’s decision was made to prioritize recovery ahead of the World Championships next month in Paris.

“She’s physically fatigued and her knee isn’t in good condition,” the official said. “There were concerns about aggravating the injury, so she made the prudent decision to withdraw.”

In an interview with the BWF, An said, “I felt discomfort in my knee while preparing for this tournament. The pain made it difficult to focus on the match. Of course, it’s disappointing.” Despite the setback, she remained composed, adding, “I won’t rush. Another opportunity will surely come.”

An has battled chronic knee pain since injuring it during the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, held in 2023. Though she focused on recovery afterward, the pain persisted as she prepared for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she made history by becoming the first Korean woman to win gold in singles since Bang Soo-hyun at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

An is scheduled to return to Korea on Monday before heading back to Paris later next month to pursue her second consecutive world title, this time on the same court where she claimed Olympic gold.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.