Danish Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen announced his retirement from professional badminton on Wednesday. The double gold medalist cited recurrent back issues, stemming from surgery last April, preventing him from training and competing at the highest level.
Axelsen held the world number one ranking for over 100 consecutive weeks. In addition to his Olympic golds from Tokyo and Paris, he secured a bronze in Rio 2016 and won world championship titles in 2017 and 2022.
"My body won’t allow me to continue," Axelsen stated on social media, describing the decision as incredibly difficult. He emphasized his lifelong dedication to the sport, stating he gave "everything" to achieve his dream of becoming the world's best.