KUALA LUMPUR — Could this be the start of another long spell on the sidelines for Ng Tze Yong?
The Malaysian men’s singles shuttler was forced to retire from his Malaysia Masters opener today after collapsing mid-rally with what appeared to be a right knee injury.
The 25-year-old was leading Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long 22-20, 4-3 when he went down in visible pain, clutching his knee, at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, unable to continue and requiring immediate medical attention.
It was only his fourth tournament back after a year-long layoff — and the scenes have left fans heartbroken and fearing the worst.
“Tze Yong’s badminton career is over!” one user posted on X.
Another wrote: “It’s so sad to see Tze Yong injured again. It took him more than a year to come back. Why Axiata? Why?”
Tze Yong’s injury troubles began in January last year, when he suffered a lower back issue in the first round of the Malaysia Open.
Despite a brief appearance at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February, the Johor-born shuttler missed the rest of 2024 and underwent two surgeries.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) later applied for a protected ranking, allowing Tze Yong to make his much-anticipated comeback at the Badminton Asia Championships last month.
There was no media appearance after the match, with Tze Yong taken straight to the medical room for assessment. The severity of the injury has yet to be confirmed. — May 21, 2025