Kuala Lumpur: Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia will not defend his Australian Open crown after pulling out from this year’s edition, scheduled in Sydney from Nov 18 to 23.
According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Zii Jia has been listed as ‘withdrawn’ alongside Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medallist Viktor Axelsen, Thailand’s 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn and two national professional players - Cheam June Wei and Jacky Kok Jing Hong.
Team LZJ has yet to reveal the reason behind Zii Jia’s withdrawal from the Super 500 tournament, to be held in Quaycentre, Olympic Boulevard.
The 27-year-old also skipped the Japan Masters 2025, which runs from today until Nov 16.
On Oct 1, Team LZJ posted on Instagram that the Paris 2024 bronze medallist had been advised by a medical expert to undergo an extended rehabilitation programme for persistent low back pain.
As such, the 2021 All England champion missed three European assignments recently - the Denmark Open, French Open and Hylo Open.
Zii Jia last played at the 2025 China Masters in September, where he was forced to retire in the third game of his opening-round match against Taiwan’s Lin Chun-Yi while trailing 6-14.
The Kedahan had earlier won the first game 21-17 before narrowly losing the second 21-23.
Last year, Zii Jia lifted his maiden Australian Open crown after downing Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-19, 11-21, 21-18 in the final.
Malaysia’s men’s singles challenge at the Australian Open 2025 will now rest on the shoulders of Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh and Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, while Eogene Ewe and Lim Ming Hong will start from the qualifying rounds.
Meanwhile, national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei are set to return to action in the Australian Open now that the former has recovered from his shoulder injury.
National mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto said they had earlier withdrawn the pair from several championships, as suggested by the medical team, to prevent Tang Jie from aggravating the injury.
“But for the next one (the Australian Open), I think everything is okay. Judging from his reaction in training, he is now pain-free,” he said after the team’s training session at Akademi Badminton Malaysia on Tuesday.
Last month, the combination of Tang Jie-Ee Wei admitted to not being at their best after bowing out in the quarter-finals of the French Open in Cesson-Sevigne.
The Malaysians, who are also world champions, lost to Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet 9-21, 18-21 in just 37 minutes in the French Open last eight at Glaz Arena.
