Taipei: Taiwanese former World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying, who originally planned to retire at the end of the year, announced Thursday that she will undergo surgery on her left knee at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in the coming few days. Whether she will return to international competition remains undecided. Her father emphasized that there is no timeline for recovery yet, as her full rehabilitation is the top priority.
This year, Tai has been plagued by knee injuries, which contributed to her early exit in the group stage at the Paris Olympics. She continued competing despite her injuries but stopped playing after the China Open in September. In October, she applied for a Badminton World Federation (BWF) “ranking protection” and has finally decided to proceed with surgery, leaving the possibility of her return to competition open.
With the ranking protection, Tai Tzu Ying will retain her world No. 5 position until October next year, allowing her to compete in high-level BWF World Tour events if she decides to make a comeback.
Speaking about her decision, Tai joked about being worried she might gain weight during her recovery, as she won’t be able to exercise post-surgery. The exact recovery timeline will depend on how well she heals after the procedure, but she is expected to rest for at least three months.
Her coach explained that applying for ranking protection was essential to allow Tai to focus on her recovery without the pressure of fines or other penalties from BWF for missing tournaments.
Sharing the news on social media, Tai wrote: “I want to share something with everyone! In a few days, I’ll be undergoing surgery, so I’m making the most of my free movement before then. Thank you all for your support.”
Her father added, “We’ll have a clearer picture of her situation after the surgery. For now, there’s no set timeline. The priority is for her to make a full recovery.”