Ahn Se-young during training at the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province last year. Jincheon l Moon Jae-won

World No. 1 in women's singles badminton, Ahn Se-young advanced directly to the Malaysia Open final with a walkover against formidable opponent Chen Yufei.

Competing at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 1000 Malaysia Open, the first tournament of 2026, Ahn had been set to meet Chen Yufei in the semifinals with their head-to-head tied at 14-14, but advanced straight to the final after Chen withdrew due to injury.

Having won this tournament in each of the past two years, Ahn is now one match away from a third consecutive title.