MEN'S singles Lee Zii Jia has yet to peak and can still improve to be a complete player.
Zii Jia reached new career high ranking of world No 6 this week following his recent success at the Asia Championships in Manila.
Zii Jia's coach Indra Wijaya said the 24-year-old must remain patient and continue to learn.
"Zii Jia must not let success get to his head.
"Yes, he is in good shape and performing well. He is a tough opponent to beat. But is he at his peak? No, he is still far from unlocking his true ability, which will come in time with hard work. There are some aspects to his game that still need maturing," Indra told Timesport.
In January, Zii Jia shocked the badminton fraternity when he announced his decision to quit the national team to pursue a professional career.
However, Zii Jia has so far silenced his critics, despite many having reservations over his move to turn pro.
First, he inspired the Malaysian team to a historic Asia Team Championships crown in February and was in top form at the All England in March, despite falling short in his bid to defend the title when he crashed out in the semifinals.
His recent feat of becoming only the sixth Malaysian men's singles player to be crowned Asian champion was the icing on the cake.
The question now is whether he can get better? Will Zii Jia help Malaysia end their 30-year wait for the Thomas Cup in Bangkok next week? And will he win Malaysia the elusive Olympic gold medal in Paris in 2024?
"The bigger question is can Zii Jia play this high-level badminton consistently?
"I have mentioned that there is very little to separate the top five or 10 players in the world right now. Zii Jia played really well at the All England yet still lost to Lakshya Sen (India) in the semi-finals. And Lakshya then lost to Viktor (Axelsen) in the final.
"It's about consistency. A great player is a player who plays top level badminton consistently," added Indra.
Zii Jia and his professional team have reunited with the rest of the Malaysian squad for the second round of centralised training in Bangkok before the world team meet kicks off on Sunday. Malaysia are in Group D with 2014 champions Japan, England and the United States.