The last time Lee Zii Jia was on the court was at All England Open earlier this year, in March, where he lost in the opening round against Ng Ka Long Angus. He has played just four matches so far this year and has seen his ranking drop out of top 50. The former World No 2, however, is all set to return to action at the Paris 2025 Badminton World Championships that starts on Monday. In an interview with BWF, the Malaysian superstar spoke about the difficulties he has been facing this year and working through a bout of depression as he missed a large chunk of World Tour action due to what he calls his first major injury of such magnitude.
“During those five months… I was not just dealing with my injuries, I was dealing with stress, and of course, I did have a little bit of depression,” the former All England champion told BWF. “During those five months, I was not just about badminton. I travelled as well, to keep my mind fresh. I was sort of obsessed with art. I’m starting to do research with some art. I figured out that looking at art is something that can express our feelings, not just the good side, sometimes the dark side as well. So that’s why I shared those images.”
“During my depression, I was in the middle point of trying to find something to distract myself. I went to try many new things, like reading books. I even tried a skydive in Dubai. And then I went to an art museum as well in Abu Dhabi. It was a solo trip, a healing trip for myself. I learnt something new again.”
Lee, who won bronze at the Paris Olympics at this very venue last year, took a lengthy break to deal with an ankle injury that had been bothering him. “It’s not normal (to be out for five months). I’ve been in a situation that… I wanted to stop playing because of all these injuries, all these things that bothered me. I’ve had ups and downs, but never had to deal with injuries. It was my first time dealing with this big injury. So it’s like a new thing for me. And when it happened, I was quite shocked as well, and I was clueless. I didn’t know what I should do and how I should deal with this problem,” the 27-year-old explained.
Often considered the next big thing for Malaysian men’s singles after the retirement of the legendary Lee Chong Wei, Lee Zii Jia has had to deal with plenty of scrutiny by the media in his home country. But in Paris, he hopes to just focus on returning to action and not worry about producing results.
“How am I going to perform when I come back. Am I still at the top level, or am I struggling with my own performance? I’m concerned a lot, to be honest, and it’s quite stressful but I think the important thing is that I’m ready now and I’m here,” he added.
