KUALA LUMPUR - Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has broken into the world’s top 80, according to the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) world rankings released today.
Despite a second-round exit at the Indonesia Masters 2026, the former All England champion climbed 24 places to 79th with 22,440 points.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games bronze medallist now trails Leong Jun Hao, who remains Malaysia’s top men’s singles shuttler after moving up one spot to 29th with 45,691 points.
Last Wednesday, Zii Jia showed encouraging signs when he snapped a 10-month winless streak, defeating India’s H.S. Prannoy 21-19, 21-11 to reach the second round of the Super 500 tournament.
However, the Kedahan’s campaign at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta ended after he went down 21-15, 17-21, 8-21 to Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul.
Zii Jia has struggled with injuries in recent years, having sustained an ankle injury at the World Tour Finals in December 2024 and a back injury during the China Masters last September.
The 27-year-old made his long-awaited return to competition after a 111-day hiatus at the Malaysia Open 2026 earlier this year.
In the women’s singles category, national shuttler K. Letshanaa surged from 42nd spot to 38th place with 36,938 points following her impressive run to the semi-finals of the Indonesia Masters, marking her maiden Super 500 last four appearance.
Meanwhile, newly crowned Indonesia Masters champions Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani returned to the top eight of the men’s doubles rankings, moving up one spot from ninth to eighth with 71,830 points.
The 2022 world champions, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, remained second with 94,950 points, while teammates Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun stayed sixth with 74,283 points.
Two other Indonesia Masters 2026 champions - Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles) and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles) - also maintained their positions.
Pearly-Thinaah stayed second with 96,416 points, while Tang Jie-Ee Wei remained fourth with 91,763 points. - BERNAMA