Lee Zii Jia says he considered skipping season
Such was the extent of his injury, Lee mentioned that he was mentally stressed and thinks he may have suffered a little bit of depression.
“Actually, I [did] think of [it],” he says when Olympics.com asks if he considered sitting out the entire season, like some athletes do in other sports to rest, reset, and come back from injury.
But, it being the first time in his career that the 27-year-old has faced such a challenge, he decided against it. “The main thing is I managed to play injury-free (in training),” he explains. “So that’s why I came out to play this tournament.”
France has not always been Lee’s happy place. Except for his bronze medal here last summer at the Olympic Games, Lee has generally struggled in French tournaments.
“I think it’s either always first round or second round,” Lee says of his early exits in previous competitions. “I really have a tough one every time in France, except for the Olympics. That was the best result I got.”
So, with no expectations or targets coming into this tournament, what else can Lee take from this experience?
At the very least, a chance to assess how he stacks up against the field — and figure out what he can take going forward for the rest of the season. “I think I’m at the middle point of how to deal with all this,” he says.
And even though he has no expectations, surprises could lie in store.
“Men’s singles has become more competitive,” the Malaysian says. “It’s not like the generation of Lin Dan and [Lee] Chong Wei when they won almost all the big tournaments.
“For me, everyone has the chance to win any tournament if they are 100 per cent ready.”
The BWF World Championships can be streamed live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the Olympics mobile apps, subject to territorial restrictions.