If you thought badminton was all about lightning-fast smashes and endless rallies, hold on tight. South Korea’s An Se Young just rewrote the sport’s history books by becoming the first player ever to earn over $1 million in prize money in a single year. She sealed the deal with a gritty win at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, proving that dominance isn’t just for the men’s game.

An Se Young Wins BWF Finals 2025

The atmosphere in Hangzhou was electric as An lifted her 11th title of 2025. Facing defending champion Wang Zhi Yi, she fought through a marathon 96-minute battle, clinching it 21-13, 18-21, 21-10 despite leg cramps. That victory pocketed her $240,000, pushing her season total to a staggering $1,003,175. An’s stats are pure fire: 74 wins in 77 matches for a 94.80% win rate, the highest ever for anyone playing 60+ games in the Superseries/World Tour era, topping legends like Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei.

From the opening game, An Se Young showcased her trademark speed and smarts. Wang targeted her forehand with long rallies to wear her down, but An fired back with sharp placements, steady defence, and killer smashes. Even when Wang levelled the score by catching her out of position, An dug deep in the decider. Her backcourt defence covered every inch, turning pressure into points and securing her second BWF Finals 2025 crown. Talk about resilience, this is why she’s equaling Kento Momota‘s record for most singles titles in a calendar year.

An Se Young’s milestone isn’t just about the money; it’s a statement. In a sport where every point feels like a war, she’s blending power, strategy, and endurance like no one before. Badminton fans, this is the new benchmark. With records tumbling left and right, expect more fireworks as the season wraps up. Who’s ready for what’s next?
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Camilla Martin is a retired badminton player from Denmark who ruled the court in the 1990s. She, along with Lene Køppen, is the only Danish woman badminton player to have won both the All England and World Championships singles titles.

Camilla came from a sporting background. Her father is former Danish footballer Bent Martin and her brother is the former Danish footballer Ken Martin.

Camilla began her badminton career by playing in various junior-level championships. She won a gold medal at the European Junior Championships in girls’ singles in 1989 in Manchester, England. She won a silver in doubles category along with partner Helene Kirkegaard.

She won a silver in girls’ singles at the World Junior Championships in 1989 in Jakarta, Indonesia and bagged a bronze in the following year.

Camilla won five consecutive golds from 1996 to 2004 at the European Mixed Team Championships. She won the Danish national championships 13 years consecutively, from 1991 to 2003.

The shuttler clichéd the women’s singles title in the 1999 World Championships in Copenhagen and won a bronze medal in the 1994 World Cup in Ho Chi Minh. She won three European Championships titles in women’s singles- 1996 Herning, 1998 Sofia and 2000 Glasgow. She won a silver at the 1992 Glasgow European Championships and a bronze medal each at 2002 Malmö and 2004 Geneva.

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The Danish badminton player featured in four Olympics- Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and has been deprived of the Olympic gold, the only major tournament she did not win in her illustrious career.

On the personal front, Camilla married economist Lars Nygaard on May 25, 2005, and changed her name to Camilla Martin Nygaard. She currently works as co-host of the Danish football magazine, Onside.