KUALA LUMPUR: High-flying men's doubles Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have reached a major milestone by breaking into the world's top three — but they remain determined not to let success slow them down.
The pair officially achieved their career-best world No. 3 ranking on Tuesday, becoming only the third Malaysian partnership in the past decade to achieve this feat.
They join the ranks of Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik — two of Malaysia's most celebrated men's doubles pairs.
In a significant power shift within Malaysian badminton, Sze Fei-Izzuddin have overtaken Aaron-Wooi Yik as the country's top-ranked pair, ending their predecessors' dominant 57-month reign at the summit.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin's rise has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Despite playing together since 2016, they were often dismissed as underachievers due to their lack of major titles.
The partnership even experienced a five-month split in 2023 before reuniting. However, they dramatically turned their fortunes around in the second half of this year.
After clinching the Japan Open, they followed up with titles at the China Open and Arctic Open. Although they narrowly missed out on the World Tour Finals (WTF) crown on Sunday, their runner-up finish propelled them from No. 7 to No. 3 — a stunning leap considering they began the year ranked 26th.
"While rankings may just be numbers to most people, for us, they represent a benchmark to surpass in the coming year," Izzuddin told the media upon returning from Hangzhou at KLIA on Monday.
"We know we must maintain this consistency while improving on everything we've achieved this year. The challenge only gets tougher from here, as opponents will analyse our game more thoroughly.
"We need to be better prepared, both mentally and physically, to meet these new expectations. Our confidence has grown, but we know our competitors are also evolving. We can't afford to become complacent."
Meanwhile, Aaron-Wooi Yik have slipped to No. 6, marking their first time finishing outside the top five in three years.
The former world No. 4 pair, who held that spot in 2022 and 2023, struggled to maintain their momentum this year.
Despite the shift, men's doubles remains Malaysia's strongest discipline, with an impressive seven pairs ranked within the world's top 32 — more than any other nation.
This strong representation ensures Malaysia will maintain a significant presence across all major World Tour events in the 2025 season.
The other top Malaysian pairs are Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (No. 14), Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri (No. 21), Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King (No. 23), Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (No. 24) and Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong (No. 32).
While established pairs like Yew Sin-Ee Yi have shown signs of decline, 2024 has witnessed the emergence of several promising backup combinations.
Hon Jian-Haikal and Arif-Roy King have made particularly impressive strides, while Azriyn-Wee Kiong have unexpectedly found success in lower-tier tournaments.