KUALA LUMPUR – Lee Zii Jia’s withdrawal from the 2025 China Open has intensified concern over his prospects for the upcoming World Championships, with the independent men’s singles shuttler now skipping two back-to-back tournaments amid ongoing fitness and mental health questions.
The 27-year-old’s name was removed from the China Open player list on the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) website today, confirming Scoop’s earlier report that he was likely to pull out of the Super 1000 event in Changzhou, scheduled for July 22–27.
Team LZJ has yet to issue any official explanation for the withdrawal, which follows his earlier no-show at the Japan Open this week.
The double withdrawal has sparked alarm within the badminton community, especially with the World Championships in Paris just over a month away.
Previously, former national coach and 1992 Thomas Cup winner Datuk Rashid Sidek said Zii Jia’s decisions suggest he may not be ready—physically or mentally—to return to high-level play.
“If Zii Jia skips the China Open, I’m afraid he won’t be in the best shape for the World Championships next month. He won’t have the confidence or the match temperament,” Rashid told Scoop in a recent interview.
“Only he knows how ready he truly is. But he has hardly played this year, and perhaps that’s why he’s sitting out these key tournaments,” added the former Olympic medallist.
Zii Jia has struggled with consistency since injuring his ankle at the World Tour Finals last December.
Although he returned in March, his only outings were the Orleans Masters, where he lost in the quarter-finals, and the All England Championships, where he crashed out in the first round. He also withdrew from the Swiss Open in March, citing the same injury.
Fans were further unsettled by his recent cryptic social media posts, which featured dark, symbolic sketches. The posts prompted the National Sports Institute and Badminton Association of Malaysia to offer support, should he need it.
Zii Jia’s current form, compounded by limited match exposure and ongoing concerns over his physical and emotional readiness, raises doubts about his ability to peak at the World Championships, slated for August 25–31 in Paris. The final deadline to withdraw from the tournament is August 12.
As the highest-profile Malaysian men’s singles player, expectations are high. But for now, with no clear update from his camp, the big question remains: will Zii Jia even make it to Paris? — July 15, 2025