After a turbulent year marked by injuries and physical challenges, professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has revealed that he will spend the remainder of the year focusing on recovery and preparing for the 2026 season.
The Malaysian badminton player, who has not competed since September, reflected on the emotional and physical ups and downs of his year in an Instagram post, saying he has learned a lot about managing his health.
“There are days when I feel on top of the world and there are days when I feel the effects of coming back from that ankle injury and the nagging back pain,” he wrote.
Since his last appearance at the China Masters in September, Lee said he and his team have been working closely with medical experts to ensure he can return to competing at his best.
His team previously confirmed that Lee was advised to undergo an extensive rehabilitation programme due to persistent low back pain, after he withdrew in the third game against Taiwan’s Lin Chun-Yi in the opening round of the China Masters 2025.
The injury forced him to withdraw from multiple tournaments, including the Australian Open 2025, where he was the defending champion.
Despite the setbacks, Lee shared that he has discovered a new interest in art during his downtime.
“It has been a rollercoaster of a year physically and emotionally, but there has also been a lot of discovery about myself — who knew that art is something that I am fond of,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to his family, friends, team, sponsors, and fans for their continued support and said he looks forward to seeing fans again soon.
The former 2021 All England champion affirmed that he remains motivated and determined to return to the court stronger next year.
