Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian men’s doubles duo Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani are poised to ascend to the pinnacle of the badminton world rankings, set to become World No. 1 with an impressive 91,090 points. The official rankings update, expected on Tuesday, May 27, will see them overtake current top-ranked pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark.
Astrup and Rasmussen’s failure to defend their Malaysian Masters title paved the way for the Malaysian independent pair’s historic rise. The Danish duo, who lost to fellow Malaysians and World No. 3 Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semi-finals on Saturday, May 24, will drop to World No. 2 with 90,411 points.
Despite a quarter-final exit at the Malaysian Masters at the hands of compatriots Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, Goh and Izzuddin’s consistent stellar performances in late 2024 and early 2025 have secured their top spot. Their remarkable run includes capturing titles at the China Open, Japan Open, and Arctic Open in 2024, alongside runner-up finishes at the World Tour Finals and Asian Championships. They also kicked off 2025 with a victory at the Indian Open.
This achievement marks a significant milestone for Malaysian badminton, as Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani will be the first Malaysian men’s doubles pair to reach World No. 1 since Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong in 2016.
Looking ahead, Goh and Izzuddin are set to compete as the second seeds in the upcoming Singapore Open this week, as their new World No. 1 ranking is yet to be officially applied to several tournaments, including the Singapore Open and Indonesia Open. They are scheduled to face Taiwan’s Lee Fang-chih and Lee Fang-jen in the Round of 32.