NATIONAL men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao is embracing the challenge of being Malaysia’s top-ranked player, using the pressure as motivation to elevate his game. The world number 25 remains unfazed by expectations, seeing them as a driving force rather than a burden.
“There will always be pressure, but to me, this is a challenge and morale-booster,“ Jun Hao told reporters after a training session today. Currently ranked above professional player Lee Zii Jia (28th), Justin Hoh (43rd), and Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin (46th), Jun Hao is determined to make the most of his position.
Zii Jia, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, has been sidelined since March due to an ankle ligament injury, leaving Jun Hao as Malaysia’s leading men’s singles contender.
The 25-year-old is now sharpening his physical and tactical skills ahead of major tournaments. After competing in the Indonesia Open earlier this month, he will return to action in July with the Japan Open (July 15-20) and China Open (July 22-27), followed by the World Championships in Paris (Aug 25-31).
Jun Hao prefers taking one match at a time rather than setting long-term goals. “I’m focusing on improving step by step,“ he said.
This season has been a transition period for Jun Hao as he adapts to the coaching style of national singles director Kenneth Jonassen, who took charge earlier this year. Out of nine tournaments played in 2024, his best result was a quarter-final finish at the Singapore Open, where he fell to Thailand’s world number one Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
