KUALA LUMPUR – Leong Jun Hao, Malaysia's leading men's singles badminton player, is not shying away from the pressure that comes with his status but is instead using it as motivation to improve his performance.
Ranked 25th in the world, Jun Hao acknowledges the expectations tied to his position, but he chooses to embrace the challenge rather than feel overwhelmed by it.
“There will always be pressure, but I see this as a challenge and a boost to my morale,” he told reporters after a training session today.
According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, Jun Hao is positioned ahead of fellow player Lee Zii Jia, who is ranked 28th, followed by Justin Hoh at 43rd and Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin at 46th.
Zii Jia, a bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has been sidelined since last March due to an ankle ligament injury.
Jun Hao is currently concentrating on improving his physical fitness and on-court skills as he prepares for key upcoming tournaments.
The 25-year-old, who recently competed in the Indonesia Open earlier this month, plans to return to competition next month, starting with the Japan Open (July 15-20) and the China Open (July 22-27), before heading to the World Championships in Paris (August 25-31).
When asked about his goals for the upcoming tournaments, he expressed a preference for taking it one match at a time rather than looking too far ahead.
Jun Hao acknowledged that his performance this season has not met expectations, as he is still adjusting to the tactical strategies of the national singles coaching director, Kenneth Jonassen, who took on the role earlier this year.
Out of the nine tournaments he has participated in this year, Jun Hao has only reached the quarter-finals once, at the Singapore Open last month, where he lost to world number one Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand with scores of 13-21, 11-21. – June 24, 2025
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