National men’s doubles star Aaron Chia has raised concerns over the early scheduling of the Super 1000 Malaysia Open, warning that the lack of recovery time is taking a physical toll on elite pairs and affecting their chances of mounting a serious title challenge.
The Malaysia Open, which has served as the season opener since 2023, comes just 15 days after the conclusion of the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou on December 21. For top-ranked pairs such as Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik, the short turnaround has left little room for rest, recovery and proper conditioning.
“I feel the Malaysia Open comes a bit too early for us,” Aaron said after a training session at the Axiata Arena on Sunday. “The World Tour Finals ended about two weeks ago, and now it’s already the Malaysia Open.
“Players who average around 20 tournaments a season and also played at the WTF are definitely feeling the strain. Wooi Yik and I only had about two weeks to prepare and get our bodies ready.”
Aaron’s comments shed light on a long-standing trend, with no Malaysian pair reaching the men’s doubles final at the Malaysia Open since Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah lifted the title in 2014.
According to the world No. 2, the issue is compounded by the fact that top players cannot afford to skip Super 1000 events due to ranking points and commitments.
“It’s really tough because Super 1000 tournaments are not something top players can miss. Sometimes the recovery and training time is just not enough,” he explained.
Aaron suggested that the BWF calendar could be more player-friendly by opening the season with lower-tier tournaments.
“Personally, I think the first tournament of the season shouldn’t be a Super 1000. It would be better to start with Super 100 or Super 300 events, or push the Malaysia Open to the end of January or early February,” he added.
Despite the demanding schedule, Aaron remains pragmatic and focused on the task ahead, insisting that he and Wooi Yik are as prepared as they can be after returning from Hangzhou.
The second seeds will open their Malaysia Open campaign against world No. 32 Chen Zhi Yi–Presley Smith of the United States, a familiar pairing they defeated in three games in the first round last year.
“It went to three games last time, so we just need to stay focused,” Aaron said.
Aaron–Wooi Yik will be eager to improve on their 2025 showing, where they bowed out in the second round to Taiwan’s Lee Fang Chih–Lee Fang Jen, as they look to finally break Malaysia’s men’s doubles final drought on home soil.
Credit Photo : BAT
