Goh Sze Fei & Nur Izzuddin: Malaysia’s Golden Men’s Doubles World No. 1
Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin are the flagship men’s doubles pair of Malaysian badminton today. Both born in 1997 — Goh from Malacca, Nur Izzuddin from Muar, Johor — their Chinese–Malay partnership is as in-sync on court as it is a snapshot of Malaysia’s plural society. On 27 May 2025 they reached world No. 1 in men’s doubles, returning Malaysia to the summit and thrilling fans nationwide.
From raw partners to world No. 1
Their rise was not overnight. As early as the 2017 Malaysia Masters they reached their first big final and kept refining their game. In 2022 they won their first BWF Tour title at the German Open (Super 300), confirming the pairing. Over the following years their fierce front-back attack and steady counter-defence carried them up the rankings, claiming world No. 1 in May 2025 — a transformation from promising prospects to top champions.
A rare sweep of Tour levels
What stands out most is collecting titles across nearly every BWF Tour level: from the 2022 German Open (Super 300) and 2023 US Open (Super 300) to the 2024 Japan Open (Super 750) and China Open (Super 1000), plus the Arctic Open (Finland) that year. Spanning so many tiers is proof of a top doubles pair’s all-round strength.
Big-event finals and a rising ranking
At higher-value finals and continental events they also impressed. In 2024 they were runners-up at both the BWF World Tour Finals and the Asian Championships, proving in hard matches they can stand against the world’s best. Those results kept pushing their ranking up and, after the Lee Chong Wei era, preserved a measure of pride for this badminton nation.
After the golden generation: new hope
For Malaysian badminton, their rise matters enormously. As singles stars faded, this doubles pair shouldered the burden of flying the flag, making the world remember Malaysian badminton again. Their Chinese–Malay pairing also symbolises a nation’s different communities striving together for one flag.
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