Nguyễn Thùy Linh will be absent from the first tournament of 2026.

The prestigious Malaysia Open will not include the participation of Vietnam’s number one female shuttler.

The badminton tournament that kicks off the BWF World Tour - Super 1000 season Malaysia Open 2026 is scheduled from January 6th to 11th in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city. This major event gathers top badminton stars worldwide such as An Se-young, Wang Zhiyi, Akane Yamaguchi, Shi Yuqi, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Anders Antonsen.

However, Nguyễn Thùy Linh, currently Vietnam’s number one badminton player, will not participate in this Super 1000 season opener. Thùy Linh’s name is absent from both the participant list and the list of withdrawals for the Malaysia Open, suggesting that the Kuala Lumpur event is likely not part of the "Vietnamese Badminton Beauty's" plan for the new season.

It will not be until the Super 750 India Open starting on January 13ththat Thùy Linh will play her first matches of 2026.

Besides Thùy Linh, other notable players missing from the Malaysia Open include "The Emperor" Viktor Axelsen, Li Shifeng, Pornpawee Chochuwong, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, and Yeo Jia Min, among others.

At last year’s Malaysia Open, Nguyễn Thùy Linh competed and made a notable impression. In her opening match, she defeated the 2024 All Japan Badminton runner-up Natsuki Nidaira in two sets. In the round of 16, she put up a strong fight against the current world number one An Se-young, narrowly losing 15-21 in both games to the eventual champion.

Thùy Linh faces considerable challenges entering the 2026 season. Because she performed exceptionally well last year with three finals appearances in Super 300 events and one final in a Super 100 tournament, the Phú Thọ native must defend a significant number of ranking points and will need to perform strongly to avoid a major drop in the world badminton rankings.