Se-young eyes undefeated season after eclipsing Lin Dan and Chong Wei [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: An Se-young's 2025 season would have satisfied almost anyone else.

For the 23-year-old South Korean star, it has simply raised the bar she intends to clear again.

The world No. 1 opened her Malaysia Open title defence on Tuesday with a gritty 19-21, 21-16, 21-18 win over Canada's Michelle Li on Tuesday, a 75-minute battle that briefly left her on the brink before she clawed back from 11-5 down in the second game.

It was her ninth straight victory over Michelle, but far from routine — and it revealed why Se-young is refusing to ease off despite an already historic resume.

"I still need a bit more time to fully recover," she said.

"But the schedule is set — as players, we have to follow it and prepare professionally."

Last season, Se-young collected 11 titles — all on the World Tour — including the season-ending World Tour Finals just three weeks ago and three of the four Super 1000 events, among them the All England and Indonesia Open.

Her only blemish was missing out on a repeat world title, settling for bronze.

Across the year, she won 73 of 77 matches, producing a staggering 94.8 per cent win rate, the highest single-season mark ever recorded, superior even to the best years of Lin Dan (92.75 per cent in 2011) and Lee Chong Wei (92.75 percent in 2010), according to the Badminton World Federation.

Most players would protect numbers like that.

Se-young wants to surpass them.

She openly admitted her "ultimate goal" is to finish a season undefeated — and to push beyond the 11-title benchmark.

"I always try to forget what I've already achieved and start again," she said.

"I want to chase more titles. That habit keeps me moving — collecting titles is what drives me.

"Finishing a year without losing is my ultimate goal, even if it's very hard."

Se-young believes the tour is catching up — because everyone is studying her.

"It's always getting harder. Many players analyse my game and prepare for me, so everything feels tougher now," she said.

Yet even as challenges mount, Se-young continues to expand the horizon.

She is chasing a third successive Malaysia Open crown, a feat previously achieved only by Indonesia's Susi Susanti, China's Zhang Ning and Taiwan's Tai Tzu Ying.

Next up is Japan's 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara, a defensive specialist who is likely to test her patience again.

Matches like Tuesday's show why an "invincible" season remains almost impossible.

But they also explain why Se-young remains so dangerous — every scare seems to sharpen her further.

She has already conquered the sport.

Her mission now is to redefine what domination looks like, and everyone else must find a way to keep up.