KUALA LUMPUR: Seasoned shuttler Tan Kian Meng candidly admits his days in elite badminton are numbered.
The 30-year-old is contemplating retirement as early as the first quarter of this year if he and his partner Lai Pei Jing fail to secure new sponsorship after April, when their current deal with Victor expires.
The world No. 19 have been one of badminton's longest-sustaining mixed doubles partnerships since joining forces in November 2015.
They reached their peak as world No. 5 and claimed several World Tour victories, including the 2017 Malaysia Masters and 2022 Korea Open.
However, recent years have proven challenging for the duo.
Struggling with form and Kian Meng's recurring injuries, they failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Their 2024 campaign was difficult, with 13 early exits from 19 tournaments.
Although they reached the semi-finals at the Indonesia Open Super 1000, the success was an isolated highlight.
"We plan to compete until the All England, then we'll evaluate our future," Kian Meng said at the Axiata Arena after testing the courts ahead of next week's Malaysia Open.
"Our decision largely depends on securing sponsorship after our Victor contract ends in April. I also need to consider my physical condition, as managing multiple injuries has made it difficult to maintain peak performance."
It remains to be seen whether the World Championships in Paris in August could motivate them to extend their partnership, considering they are provisionally qualified.
Countries can enter up to three pairs if all are ranked within the top 24 in the World Championships qualification rankings by the final week of April.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing currently stand at 12th, behind compatriots Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (second) and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (fifth).
Looking ahead, Kian Meng has already set his sights on a coaching career.
"I plan to establish a badminton academy. I want to give back by developing young players," he shared.
The duo will make their seventh Malaysia Open appearance this year, facing Japan's Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito in their opening match.
Their best result in this tournament came in 2019, when they reached the semi-finals.