PETALING JAYA — Malaysian women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah have reached the top of the World Tour Finals rankings for the first time, The Star reported.

The duo currently have 104,860 points, narrowly edging out China’s Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, who are second with 103,150 points.

The World Tour Finals ranking only accounts for points accumulated from Tour events and is separate from the official world rankings.

In the official world rankings, Pearly-Thinaah remain second with 91,316 points, while the Chinese pair continue to hold the top spot with 110,884 points.

The rise in the Tour ranking is seen as a significant boost for the Malaysians, who will be motivated to close the gap in the world rankings.

According to the report, Pearly and Thinaah are set to compete in the back-to-back Japan Masters in Kumamoto starting Nov 11 and the Australian Open from Nov 18 to 23.

The Malaysians are top seeds in both tournaments, as Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning have opted to skip these events.

According to The Star, the pair aim to carry their momentum into the season-ending World Tour Finals in Hangzhou from Dec 17 to 21.

The pair have never advanced past the group stage in the prestigious tournament and will be eager to achieve a breakthrough performance this year.

Observers have noted that reaching the top of the Tour ranking represents a milestone in the duo’s career, highlighting their consistency and strong results in international competitions throughout 2025, the English daily reported. 

The Star added that Pearly-Thinaah’s recent form and strategic participation in key tournaments put them in a strong position to challenge for the world No. 1 spot in the near future, raising expectations for Malaysian badminton fans ahead of the final stretch of the season.