Kuala lumpur: Professional men's singles ace Lee Zii Jia, who will not be competing in the Malaysia Masters 2026 here this week, appears set to return to action in a competition in the United States next month.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the US Embassy in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, shared photos on Instagram of Zii Jia during a visit to the embassy ahead of an upcoming tournament in Los Angeles. The embassy expressed excitement in hosting the Malaysian badminton star as he prepares for the competition, emphasizing the role of sports in fostering connections between Malaysia and the US.

It is believed that the world number 62 will compete in the US Open 2026, scheduled to be held at the Titan Gymnasium, California State University, Fullerton, from June 23-28. The Super 300 tournament offers a total prize money of USD250,000 (RM993,725).

Yesterday, it was reported that Zii Jia chose not to take advantage of a late opening in the Malaysia Masters qualifying rounds following the withdrawal of several players. Several top players, including world No. 1 from China Shi Yuqi and world No. 3 from Denmark Anders Antonsen, decided to skip the Super 500 tournament.

This year's Malaysia Masters, which kicked off at the Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil, carries a total prize pool of USD500,000 (RM1.98 million). Last week, Zii Jia suffered a qualifying round exit at the Thailand Open 2026, losing to Israel's Daniil Dubovenko 20-22, 10-21, in the first round.