Malaysia’s top shuttler Lee Zii Jia made a brief appearance at the 2025 BWF World Championships, bowing out in the opening round after a straight-games defeat to South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok-jin at the Adidas Arena in Paris.
The 26-year-old, who has been sidelined for five months with a serious ankle injury, fell 17–21, 11–21 in just 41 minutes. Despite the loss, Lee showed glimpses of his trademark fighting spirit, diving for shots and moving with confidence on the same court where he captured an Olympic bronze medal a year ago.
“The first priority was to get injury-free and I think I did it. For now, I can be 100% sure that my injury is healed,” Lee told Olympics.com after the match.
Lee had managed to hold his own against Jeon in the first game, producing sharp smashes and testing his recovery. However, the Korean tightened his grip in the second, pulling away for a comfortable victory.
While Lee had entered the tournament without setting specific targets, the early exit still left him frustrated.
“Definitely I’m disappointed. I have to accept the situation, having been away for five months. It’s not easy to come back to the same level straight away,” he admitted.
Looking ahead, Lee is determined to use the Hong Kong Open and China Masters, both scheduled back-to-back, as stepping stones towards regaining his top form.
“The upcoming plan is Hong Kong and the China Masters. Definitely, I have to be more ready. The priority now is to get back the tournament feeling and also the level I used to be at,” he added.
For Malaysian fans, Lee’s early exit may be a setback, but his confident return from injury signals a promising rebuild as he gears up for the remaining tournaments of the season.
