Injured Shi Yuqi asks for a protected ranking and cuts his 2026 season short
The former world No. 1, 30, has shoulder and back problems; he lost in round one at both the Worlds and the China Masters.
The request
China's Shi Yuqi has asked the BWF for a protected ranking and is expected to fall sharply in the world rankings, reports Flashscore. The report says he is effectively ending his 2026 season early because of severe shoulder and back injuries and withdrew from the European leg of the World Tour (Arctic Open, Denmark Open, French Open). It explains the idea as freezing his points so that he can rehabilitate without losing entry to major events; it does not give the rules or duration, and it shows no date.
The season behind it
The New Straits Times wrote on 10 September that he had lost in the first round of the China Masters to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew 21-11, 21-10, a week after a first-round exit at the World Championships in New Delhi. It said he was then world No. 6 with 15 World Tour titles, and that social media speculation about retirement after the Asian Games had no official confirmation.
What is a protected ranking
As described by Flashscore, it is a way to keep a player's ranking position for entries while they recover. We do not have the BWF's own rule text.
Why it matters
It shows how the ranking system treats long injuries. We make no prediction about his return.