TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) announced on Wednesday (Dec. 4) that she would soon undergo surgery to address a long-standing knee injury. Tai wrote on social media that she has applied for ranking protection and is grateful for the support she has received while she took advantage of her freedom before the surgery.
In October, Tai officially applied for ranking protection with the Badminton World Federation (BWF, 世界羽球聯盟), ensuring she will not compete for the next three months. Her coach, Lai Chien-cheng (賴建誠), explained that the application aims to allow Tai to focus on her recovery without facing penalties for missing tournaments.
Her father, Tai Nan-kai (戴楠凱), revealed that after discussing her persistent knee issues with the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (長庚醫院) medical team, they decided surgery was the best course of action. The duration of Tai's recovery and her return to the court will be assessed post-surgery.