Taiwan's badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying to undergo knee surgery

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) Taiwan badminton star Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) confirmed Wednesday that she will undergo surgery for a knee injury that has troubled her for the past two years.

In an interview with CNA, Tai said she will first have surgery on her left knee and later assess whether surgery is needed for her right knee.

"I've thought about it for a long time, but I still hope to resolve the knee issues for the sake of my future life," Tai said, adding that she will need to rest for at least a few months after the procedure.

The chronic knee injury has disrupted Tai's participation in Badminton World Federation (BWF) events this year, with frequent withdrawals.

Although she won the India Open title in January, her knee problems worsened, ultimately leading to her elimination during the Paris Olympic qualifiers.

Her condition remained unstable through the summer, forcing her to retire from both the Japan Open semifinal and the Hong Kong Open in the round of 16.

Since losing at the China Open in September, Tai has been receiving treatment and applied for injury-protected ranking on Oct. 22, enabling her to retain her World No. 5 position.

The application sparked speculation about early retirement after her unexpected announcement in April last year that she plans to retire by the end of 2024.

However, Tai's coach, Lai Chien-cheng (賴建誠), clarified at the time that the main focus is to allow Tai to recover from her injury, and that the injury protection is to avoid unnecessary penalties for missed matches.