Hong Kong Men’s Singles Badminton Star
Lee Cheuk Yiu
Hong Kong
Player Event: Men’s singles
Date of Birth: 28 August 1996, Hong Kong
Playing Style: Right-handed all-round attacker with a steep jump smash, deceptive drops and fearless giant-killing
Known For: Winning the 2019 Hong Kong Open from the qualifying rounds, six BWF World Tour finals and career wins over Viktor Axelsen, Anthony Ginting and Srikanth Kidambi
Understanding Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hong Kong Badminton Star)
Lee Cheuk Yiu represents Hong Kong in men’s singles badminton at the highest international level. A right-handed attacker coached by former world No. 1 Wong Choong Hann, he produced one of badminton’s great fairytale weeks by winning the 2019 Hong Kong Open on home soil, and has reached six BWF World Tour finals.
Early Life in Hong Kong and Junior Career
Lee Cheuk Yiu was born on 28 August 1996 in Hong Kong. He picked up badminton at the age of five and developed through Hong Kong’s schools and junior system before joining the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the territory’s elite training base.
Hong Kong Sports Institute
The Hong Kong Sports Institute in Sha Tin gave Lee daily training with the territory’s best players, full-time coaching and sports science support. That professional structure turned a keen junior into a player ready for the world stage — the same kind of structured base every young player needs.
Asian Junior Medals
Lee’s junior career brought medals across Asia. He won the boys’ singles silver medal at the 2013 Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, losing a tight final to China’s Lin Guipu 22–24, 14–21, and added a bronze medal at the 2014 Asia Junior Championships in Taipei. His first senior title followed at the 2017 New Zealand Open.
New Zealand Open Champion
In November 2019, Lee produced the week of his life at his home tournament. Promoted from the qualifying rounds at the Hong Kong Open, he beat China’s Shi Yu Qi in the second round, then former world champion Viktor Axelsen in the quarter-finals and former world No. 1 Srikanth Kidambi in the semi-finals.
Career Milestone #1
Hong Kong Open Fairytale on Home Soil
In the final at a packed Hong Kong Coliseum, Lee defeated Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 16–21, 21–10, 22–20 to win his first BWF World Tour title — becoming only the second Hong Kong men’s singles player ever to win the Hong Kong Open, and doing it in front of his home crowd.
Young players watching from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and across the world could see that his fairytale was built on belief and preparation — a qualifier who had done the training could take down three superstars in four days.
Career Milestone #2
Super 750 Finals in India and China
Lee has made the India Open his favourite hunting ground. He reached the Super 750 final in New Delhi in 2024, losing a thriller to Shi Yu Qi 21–23, 17–21 — a run that lifted him to his career-high world No. 13 — and reached the final again in 2025, this time falling to Viktor Axelsen.
In September 2026 he reached another Super 750 final at the China Masters in Shenzhen, beating compatriot Ng Ka Long Angus, Toma Junior Popov, Srikanth Kidambi and Christo Popov before losing the final to fellow Hong Kong player Jason Gunawan — a historic all-Hong Kong final.
With earlier finals at the 2023 Thailand Open and 2023 Hylo Open, Lee has now reached six BWF World Tour finals across the Super 300, 500 and 750 levels — and in October 2026 he was still pushing the best, taking Denmark’s Anders Antonsen to three games at the Denmark Open.
Career Milestone #3
Olympic Debut in Paris and Hong Kong Badminton
Lee Cheuk Yiu represented Hong Kong at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, competing in the men’s singles event and fulfilling a career-long dream at the age of 27.
His team highlight came at home: a bronze medal with Hong Kong at the 2019 Asia Mixed Team Championships, played in Hong Kong the same year as his Open fairytale. He is part of a proud Hong Kong singles tradition, following Ng Ka Long Angus and now sharing the stage with Jason Gunawan.
Lee Cheuk Yiu first reached world No. 13 in the BWF men’s singles rankings in January 2024, right after his India Open final — still the highest ranking of his career. His six BWF World Tour finals are one Super 500 title in Hong Kong and five runner-up finishes, backed by the 2017 New Zealand Open Grand Prix Gold title and four International Challenge and Series finals earlier in his career.
Career Milestone #4
World No. 19 Among Badminton’s Elite
Lee Cheuk Yiu holds world No. 19 in the BWF men’s singles rankings released 20 October 2026 (Week 43), with 53,423 points.
Competing at the top into his thirties requires intelligent scheduling, careful body management and planned peaks — the veteran side of the game that Lee and coach Wong Choong Hann now manage together.
Playing Style
The Giant-Killer Attacking Style
Lee Cheuk Yiu plays a right-handed all-round attacking game built on a steep jump smash, quicksilver footwork and the confidence to attack higher-ranked opponents from the first rally.
His deceptive drops caught out both Viktor Axelsen and Srikanth Kidambi during the 2019 Hong Kong Open run, and his soft touch at the net keeps the shuttle dying over the tape. Career wins over Axelsen, Ginting, Srikanth and Anders Antonsen have made him one of the tour’s most feared giant-killers.
Young players studying his matches can observe how he takes the net early, varies the pace to break an opponent’s rhythm, and attacks the moment a lift drops short. His approach shows that bravery must sit on top of a complete game.
Mental Strength
Discipline, Patience and Comeback Ability
Lee Cheuk Yiu demonstrates remarkable resilience. After his 2019 fairytale, the Covid shutdown and a loss of form saw him written off — yet he refused to disappear, rebuilding year by year until the big finals returned.
His reset was mental: in his own approach he stopped thinking about results and focused only on himself and his game, trusting his coach completely. Even in 2023, a season of eleven first-round exits, that mindset carried him to two World Tour finals.
Practical lessons from his journey include trusting the training process through long losing runs, judging yourself on performance rather than one result, and understanding that confidence is rebuilt match by match, not wished back.
Learning Reference
ST Badminton Academy Connection
ST Badminton Academy has no official partnership or endorsement from Lee Cheuk Yiu. He is not connected to our academy in any way. However, coaches at ST Badminton Academy in Kuala Lumpur point to his giant-killing belief and his 2019 home triumph as exactly the mindset we try to build in our juniors.
Many of our students from Malaysia and visiting learners from Singapore study his matches to understand how a complete game and self-belief can upset higher-ranked players. His Hong Kong Open run — qualifier to champion in one week — is a favourite case study at our academy.
We encourage our students to observe his composure at 19-all in a deciding game, his early net-taking, and his refusal to be intimidated by big names. While he is not affiliated with our academy, his career demonstrates what professional daily habits can produce.
FAQs: Lee Cheuk Yiu Hong Kong Badminton Player
Here are answers to common questions about Lee Cheuk Yiu’s career, achievements and what young players can learn from his journey.
Who is Lee Cheuk Yiu and which country does he represent in badminton?
Lee Cheuk Yiu is a Hong Kong professional badminton player competing in men’s singles. Born on 28 August 1996 in Hong Kong, he is a right-handed attacker who won the 2019 Hong Kong Open and represented Hong Kong at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
What are Lee Cheuk Yiu’s biggest badminton achievements?
Lee’s major achievements include the 2019 Hong Kong Open title (Super 500), the 2017 New Zealand Open title, six BWF World Tour finals including the India Open in 2024 and 2025 and the China Masters in 2026, an Asia Mixed Team Championships bronze medal in 2019, and a career-high world ranking of No. 13.
What is Lee Cheuk Yiu’s playing style?
Lee Cheuk Yiu plays a right-handed all-round attacking game built on a steep jump smash, deceptive drops and fast net play. His retrieving and rally patience let him stay with the world’s best before he strikes.
How has Lee Cheuk Yiu performed at the Olympics?
Lee Cheuk Yiu represented Hong Kong in the men’s singles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, his first Olympic appearance — earned through a decade of consistent results on the BWF World Tour.
How can my child learn from Lee Cheuk Yiu’s training approach?
Young players can study Lee Cheuk Yiu’s approach by watching how he constructs rallies before attacking, takes the net early, and stays calm at the end of deciding games. His career shows the importance of self-belief. At ST Badminton Academy, coaches use his 2019 Hong Kong Open run as a reference.
Did Lee Cheuk Yiu win any junior titles?
Yes — Lee won the boys’ singles silver medal at the 2013 Asian Youth Games in Nanjing and a bronze medal at the 2014 Asia Junior Championships in Taipei, two of the biggest junior results by a Hong Kong singles player of his generation.
What are Lee Cheuk Yiu’s best World Championships results?
Lee Cheuk Yiu is still chasing a deep World Championships run — at the 2026 World Championships in New Delhi he beat Nguyen Hai Dang before losing a three-game round-of-32 match against Loh Kean Yew. His biggest results so far have come on the BWF World Tour, where he has reached six finals.
What playing style should young players learn from Lee Cheuk Yiu?
Young players should study Lee Cheuk Yiu’s complete game rather than only his smash. His success comes from fast feet, deceptive drops, early net play and the courage to play his own game against higher-ranked opponents. Most importantly, the all-round base must be built first.
Does ST Badminton Academy have any connection with Lee Cheuk Yiu?
No, Lee Cheuk Yiu is not a student, coach or ambassador of ST Badminton Academy. He represents Hong Kong on the international stage. However, coaches at our academy in Kuala Lumpur use his work ethic, resilience and giant-killing belief as a learning reference for our students.
Lee Cheuk Yiu Career Highlights
Career Statistics and Rankings
Lee Cheuk Yiu, born 28 August 1996 in Hong Kong, has been Hong Kong's giant-killer for a decade. A right-handed attacker coached by Wong Choong Hann, he won the 2019 Hong Kong Open from the qualifying rounds, reached six BWF World Tour finals, played at the Paris 2024 Olympics and climbed to world No. 13.
| Development Area | Common Misconception | What Lee Cheuk Yiu's Career Shows REALITY |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Foundation | Talent alone decides who becomes a champion. | Lee started badminton at age five in Hong Kong, won silver at the 2013 Asian Youth Games and bronze at the 2014 Asia Junior Championships — a structured junior base came first. |
| Playing Style Priority | Kids should copy the flashiest attacking shots. | Lee built a complete all-round game first; his famous giant-killing smashes are the finishing touch on reliable footwork, defence and net play. |
| Fitness Importance | Juniors can out-train everyone without rest. | Lee rebuilt his body management after his post-2019 dip, adding training stints in Dubai — his career-high 2024 season came from smarter scheduling, not more hours. |
| Mental Approach | Top players never get nervous or upset. | Lee was written off after eleven first-round exits in 2023, yet he reset his mindset, trusted his coach and still reached two World Tour finals that year — mental skills are trained, not inherited. |
| Attacking Training | Smashing harder is always the answer. | His 2019 Hong Kong Open run — beating Viktor Axelsen, Srikanth Kidambi and Anthony Ginting in straight succession — came from controlled attack placement, not raw power. |
| National Milestones | Only world titles matter. | Lee's 2019 Hong Kong Open title, won from the qualifying rounds, and his Asia Mixed Team Championships bronze on home soil the same year made him a national hero in Hong Kong — continental milestones build a career step by step. |
| Career Timeline | Champions peak once and fade fast. | From Asian Youth Games silver medallist in 2013 to a Super 750 final in 2026, thirteen years on, Lee proves sustained development beats a short peak. |
Study Lee Cheuk Yiu's Work Ethic and Professional Approach
This profile explains who Lee Cheuk Yiu is, his major achievements, and what developing players can learn from his journey. ST Badminton Academy Malaysia encourages students to study how world-class athletes like him combine a complete game, resilience and long-term commitment to reach elite level. While we are not connected to Lee Cheuk Yiu, his career provides valuable lessons — especially that belief backed by preparation can topple anyone.
