PETALING JAYA: If there is one men’s singles player who has won the heart of Malaysian legend Datuk Rashid Sidek – it has to be Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.

And it’s not only because the 24-year-old Thai recently became their country’s first men’s singles player to reign as the world No. 1 player, but also for his crafty play and humility.

Rashid foresees Vitidsarn staying at the top for a long time.

“Kunlavut is one of the talented players in the circuit right now. His tactical game is sound. He is sharp and tricky too,” said Rashid.

“He has this special deceptive shot that frustrates his opponents.

“His attacking shots are good and I think we have not seen the best of him yet.

“Above it all, I’m taken by his sheer humility. He has the character of a true champion.

“We have six more months before the season ends, and I can’t wait to see what other things he can accomplish.”

Two weeks ago after winning the Singapore Open, which eventually saw him taking up the top spot in the world, Kunlavut had stated: “I must keep learning. I’m world No. 1 but my performance is not No. 1 yet.”

This year, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games silver medallist Kunlavut has also won the Thailand Open, Asian Badminton Championships and Indonesian Masters.

With his fine form, he has put himself as one of the favourites to win the World Championships in Paris in August.

The other nine players behind him in the ranking are Anders Antonsen (Den), Shi Yuqi (Chn), Jonatan Christie (Ina), Li Shifeng (Chn), Chou Tien-chen (Tpe), Kodai Naraoka (Jpn), Alex Lanier (Fra), Viktor Axelsen (Den) and Loh Kean Yew (Sin). The top two highest ranked Malaysian players are world No. 21 Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao (27).