Historic Victories: An Se-young and Christo Popov Shine at World Tour Finals

South Korea's An Se-young and France's Christo Popov triumphed at the World Tour Finals. An claimed her 11th title in 2025, equaling a record, while Popov became the first French winner. Both faced intense matches, with An overcoming a tough challenge from Wang Zhiyi and Popov defeating world champion Shi Yuqi.

South Korea's badminton star An Se-young captured her 11th title of 2025 by winning the women's World Tour Finals, defeating Wang Zhiyi with scores of 21-13, 18-21, 21-10. An's remarkable achievement matches the record set by Japan's Kento Momota for the most titles in a calendar year.

An endured a grueling 96-minute match against Wang, utilizing sharp strategies including targeted smashes and solid defense. Despite Wang's efforts to exploit An's forehand, An's resilience led her to victory. The final game saw An fend off the fatigue and leg cramps with impressive backcourt defense.

In the men's event, French player Christo Popov upset world champion Shi Yuqi with a 21-19, 21-9 victory. Demonstrating relentless pace, Popov became the first Frenchman to win the championship. His swift rallies and tactical prowess overpowered Shi, who was striving to match Viktor Axelsen’s record.