Viktor Axelsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Viktor Axelsen |
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Axelsen at the 2018 Indonesia Masters
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| Born | 4 January 1994 Odense, Denmark |
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| Residence | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.94 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Denmark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2010–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Ranking | 1 (28 September 2017) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current Ranking | 9 (15 July 2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Viktor Axelsen (born 4 January 1994) is a famous badminton player from Denmark. He is known for winning many big titles. He has won the Olympic Games twice, the World Championships twice, and the European Championships four times.
Axelsen has been ranked as the world's number one men's singles player for a total of 183 weeks. This is the third-longest time anyone has held that top spot in badminton history. He has won almost every major badminton tournament. The only major team event he hasn't won gold in is the Sudirman Cup, where his team earned a bronze medal in 2013.
He is the only non-Asian male player to win the World Championships twice. He won gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. This makes him the most successful men's singles player in Olympic badminton history.
Viktor Axelsen has also helped the Danish team win many European team championships. He won the 2010 BWF World Junior Championships, becoming the only non-Asian singles player to do so. He has also been named the BWF Male Player of the Year three times since 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Badminton Beginnings
Viktor Axelsen was born in Odense, Denmark. His parents are Henrik Axelsen and Gitte Lundager. When he was six years old, his father introduced him to badminton. He started playing at the Odense badminton club.
After his parents divorced, Viktor lived with his father. At 17, he moved to Copenhagen to live alone and join the national badminton team. His father now works full-time as Viktor's manager. His mother owns a shop in Odense. In 2004, Viktor was named Player of the Year by his local badminton club.
Viktor's Amazing Career
Starting Strong: Junior Titles
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Viktor Axelsen started showing his talent early. He won national junior events in 2006 and 2008. In 2009, he won the German Junior and the European U17 Championships. He played his first senior international tournament in 2009.
In 2010, at just sixteen, Viktor reached the finals of the Swedish International tournament. He then won his first senior title at the Cyprus International. Later that year, he won the 2010 BWF World Junior Championships in Mexico. He beat top players from China, India, and Korea to win the boys' singles title.
In 2011, Viktor won gold at the 2011 European Junior Badminton Championships. He also earned a silver medal at the 2011 BWF World Junior Championships.
Growing as a Player: First Big Wins
In 2012, Viktor moved to Copenhagen to train at a special elite center. He reached the finals of the French Open that year. He also won a bronze medal at the 2012 European Badminton Championships.
In 2014, Viktor won his first Grand Prix title at the 2014 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold. He also earned bronze medals at both the 2014 BWF World Championships and the 2014 European Badminton Championships.
Becoming a Champion: European and Olympic Success
In 2015, Viktor was a runner-up in several big tournaments. He also helped Denmark win the 2015 European Mixed Team Badminton Championships. He ended 2015 ranked as the world number 6.
In 2016, Viktor won his first European Championship title. He beat his fellow Danish player, Jan Ø. Jørgensen, in the final. He was also part of the Danish team that won the 2016 Thomas & Uber Cup for the first time ever. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won a bronze medal. He beat the legendary Lin Dan from China in a thrilling match.
World Number One: 2017 and Beyond
In 2017, Viktor Axelsen won the World Championships in Glasgow. He beat Lin Dan in the final, becoming only the third Danish player to be a world champion. After this victory, he also won the Japan Open. These wins helped him reach the top of the BWF World Rankings.
In 2018, Viktor continued to lead the Danish team to gold at the European Men's and Women's Team Badminton Championships. He reached the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup with his team.
More Titles and Awards
Viktor started 2020 by winning the Spain Masters. In March, he won the All England Open. This made him the first European player to win the men's singles title there since 1999.
In 2021, Viktor helped Denmark win gold at the European Mixed Team Championships. He then won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He won without losing a single game in the entire tournament. Later that year, he won the 2021 Denmark Open and the Indonesia Open. For his amazing achievements, he became the world number one again and was named the 2020/2021 BWF Male Player of the Year. He also won the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals.
Dominance in 2022
Viktor started 2022 as the world number one. He won the 2022 All England Open without losing a single game. In April, he won his third European Championship title.
In July, he won the Malaysia Open for the first time. In August, he won his second World Championships title. He beat Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the final. Later in 2022, he won the French Open and the 2022 BWF World Tour Finals. He was named the BWF Male Player of the Year for the second time. He ended 2022 as the world number one.
Continued Success in 2023
In 2023, Viktor continued his winning streak. He defended his title at the Malaysia Open. He also won the 2023 Indonesia Open and the 2023 Japan Open. He secured his first China Open title, which was his third Super 1000 title of the year.
Despite some injuries, Viktor made a strong comeback. He won the first-ever 2023 Japan Masters title. He then secured his third straight 2023 BWF World Tour Finals title. This made him the second player ever to achieve this. He also earned a record prize of US$200,000, making him the highest prize money earner in badminton for the year.
Olympic Gold Again in 2024
In 2024, Viktor Axelsen won his first title of the year at the 2024 Malaysia Masters. He then focused on preparing for the Olympics. At the Paris Olympics, he played incredibly well. He won his second Olympic gold medal, beating Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the final. This made him the only non-Asian badminton player and the only men's singles player after Lin Dan to win two Olympic golds. After the Olympics, he won the Hong Kong Open, becoming the first Danish men's singles player to win there in 27 years.
2025 Season
Viktor started the 2025 season by winning the 2025 India Open. He then won his second title of the year at the German Open.
Personal Life
Viktor Axelsen speaks Danish, English, and Mandarin. He even has a Chinese name, 安賽龍 (An Sai Long).
In August 2021, Viktor decided to move with his family from Denmark to Dubai. He trains at the NAS Sports Complex there. He explained that moving to Dubai means shorter travel times to most tournaments in Asia. This gives him more time to rest. He also mentioned that the warmer climate in Asia is better for his health, as he has asthma and acute rhinitis. He also wanted more time with his family.
Viktor's wife is Natalia Koch Rohde. They have two daughters: Vega Rohde Axelsen, born on 15 October 2020, and Aya Rohde Axelsen, born on 7 October 2022. Natalia's father, Henrik Rohde, also helps coach Viktor.
Images for kids
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Viktor Axelsen at the 2010 Dutch Open
See also
In Spanish: Viktor Axelsen para niños
