In a surprising turn of events, Leong Jun Hao has ascended to become Malaysia’s top-ranked men’s singles shuttler, surpassing independent player Lee Zii Jia in the latest world rankings. The 25-year-old, currently ranked world No. 25, finds himself in this position after Lee Zii Jia slipped to No. 28 following an extended absence from tournaments due to injury.
Despite the newfound status, Jun Hao, a product of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) system, is embracing the spotlight. “The pressure is definitely there, but for me, I see it as a challenge,” Jun Hao told reporters at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara today. “It is a form of motivation for me to push forward.”
He views his elevated standing not as a burden, but as an incentive to elevate his game further. While Lee Zii Jia will retain a “protected ranking of No. 9” upon his return to the World Tour, Jun Hao is focused on the demanding schedule ahead.
Under the guidance of national coach Kenneth Jonassen, Jun Hao is fine-tuning his preparations for a series of major tournaments. This includes the Japan Open (July 15-20), China Open (July 22-27), and the prestigious World Championships (Aug 25-31).
“It has been over a month without a tournament, so right now the focus is to prepare in training for the next few competitions,” he stated. “The upcoming tournaments are major events, and after that comes the World Championships, so preparation is crucial.”
Jun Hao’s season so far has been challenging, marked by early exits in eight tournaments and a quarter-final finish at the Singapore Open earlier this month. However, the Kuala Lumpur-born shuttler believes he is finally hitting his stride.
“I think earlier, I was still adjusting to the change in training methods,” he explained. “Recently, I’ve started to grasp what coach Jonassen is trying to teach. I’m now more comfortable applying what I’ve worked on in training into actual matches.”
Despite the high-stakes tournaments on the horizon, Jun Hao is cautious about setting specific outcome-based goals. Instead, he prefers to manage expectations by concentrating on the process.
“For me, if I set targets for each tournament, I tend to overthink and feel more pressured,” he said. “The goal is, of course, to do well, but I will focus on one match at a time.”
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