South Korea’s An Se Young has raised the bar in women’s badminton, leaving rivals struggling to keep pace a sentiment echoed by Japan’s world No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi. Despite holding a slight edge in their overall head-to-head, Akane admits Se Young has pulled ahead in recent battles and now leads the pack. Akane also noted a shift in the dominance of Chinese players, stating that the current top shuttlers, while strong, don’t quite match the legacy of past champions like Li Xuerui and Wang Yihan.
