An Se-young Maintains Lead in Badminton World Rankings Despite Wang Zhiyi’s All England Open Victory

Despite a recent victory at the All England Open, China’s Wang Zhiyi remains behind South Korea’s An Se-young in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s singles rankings as of March 17, 2026. An Se-young holds a significant lead with 115,770 points, while Wang Zhiyi trails with 105,162 points, a gap of 10,608 points.

The Rivalry Continues

An Se-young and Wang Zhiyi are currently ranked as the top two players in women’s singles badminton. While An Se-young has historically dominated the head-to-head record with 18 wins and 4 losses, Wang Zhiyi broke a 10-match losing streak against the world No. 1 by winning the All England Open final on March 8, 2026. Xinhua

Ranking Point Breakdown

The BWF ranking system calculates points based on a player’s performance in their best 10 tournaments. An Se-young’s points have slightly decreased due to her runner-up finish at the All England Open, with points from the 2025 tournament being replaced with those from the 2026 event. Specifically, 12,000 points from the previous year were replaced with 10,500 points.

Wang Zhiyi gained 1,800 points by winning the All England Open, increasing her total to 105,162, but still falling short of closing the gap with An Se-young. Xinhua

Current Top 5 Rankings

• 1. An Se-young (South Korea) – 115,770 points
• 2. Wang Zhiyi (China) – 105,162 points
• 3. Chen Yufei (China) – 95,635 points
• 4. Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) – 93,064 points
• 5. Han Yue (China) – 87,550 points

Looking Ahead

An Se-young is scheduled to resume competition in April, starting with the Asian Individual Badminton Championships in China. She will also participate in the Thomas & Uber Cup in Denmark later in the month. The Asian Championships hold particular significance, as a victory would complete An Se-young’s Career Grand Slam, encompassing the Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian Games and Asian Championships.