Viktor Axelsen

Viktor Axelsen at 2010 Dutch Open

Axelsen achievements begin when he won the National junior event in the boys' singles and doubles in his age group in 2006 and 2008.[7] He later emerged victorious at the 2009 German Junior and also at the European U17 Championships.[8] He made his debut in the senior international tournament at the 2009 Denmark Open played in the men's doubles event with Steffen Rasmussen.[4]

In January 2010, Axelsen who played from the qualification round manage to reach the finals at the Swedish International tournament, and finished as the runner-up after lost to Indra Bagus Ade Chandra in straight games 15–21, 12–21.[9] He competed at the World Junior Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, claimed the boys' singles title by defeated the No.1 seed, China's Huang Yuxiang in the quarterfinals, India's B. Sai Praneeth in the semis and Kang Ji-wook of Korea in the final.[8] In October. he claimed his first international senior title at the age of just sixteen, winning the Cyprus International.[10] A few weeks later he entered his first Super Series event in singles, the Denmark Open 2010; making it through the qualifying stages before losing out to compatriot and eventual winner Jan Ø. Jørgensen in the second round.[11]

In 2011, Axelsen secured gold at the European Junior Championships, defeating teammate Rasmus Fladberg 21–8, 17–21, 21–13 in the final.[12] He took a silver medal at the 2011 BWF World Junior Championships, lost the title to Malaysia's Zulfadli Zulkiffli, coming in second place.[13]

In early 2012, Axelsen moved to Valby, in Copenhagen, and began to training at Brøndby elite center.[5] Axelsen finished runner-up at the French Open in Paris, losing in the final to Daren Liew 18–21, 17–21.[14] He also won a bronze medal at the 2012 European Championships losing the semi-final in three games to Sweden's Henri Hurskainen 21–18, 18–21, 17–21.[15]

In 2014, Axelsen has won his first Grand Prix title at the Swiss Open, beating China's Tian Houwei in the final 21–7, 16–21, 25–23.[16] Axelsen won a bronze medal at the 2014 BWF World Championships and also a bronze medal again at the 2014 European Badminton Championships.[17]

In 2015, Axelsen finished runners-up at the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold, three Super Series events India Open, Australian Open, and Japan Open. He qualified to compete at the Super Series Finals held in Dubai, and again finished as the runner-up.[18] Axelsen featured in Denmark winning team at the European Mixed Team Championships in Leuven, Belgium.[19][20] At the Sudirman Cup, the team finished in the quarter finals lost 2–3 to Japanese team, where he played in the second matches.[21] He ended the 2015 season ranked as world number 6.

In 2016, Axelsen earned his first European crown in May 2016 beating compatriot and defending champion Jan Ø. Jørgensen with 21–11, 21–16 in the final of the 25th edition of the European Championships, the first in France at La Roche-sur-Yon. He was also part of the historic Danish team winning the first ever Thomas Cup title in 2016. Axelsen won five of his six played singles matches in the team tournament, also against Indonesia's experienced player Tommy Sugiarto in the final (21–17, 21–18) setting up a dramatic and historic 3–2 victory for Denmark over Indonesia. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won the bronze medal by beating Lin Dan from China 21–15, 12–21, 21–17.

In 2017, Axelsen won the World Championship in Glasgow in two sets against Lin Dan (22–20, 21–16) and became the third Danish player to ever become a world champion (Peter Rasmussen 1997 in Glasgow & Flemming Delfs 1977 in Sweden).[17] Axelsen, with a record of 4–3, is the only top twenty player to hold a winning record against Lin Dan, head-to-head.[22]

Axelsen followed up his victory in Glasgow by winning the finals of the Japan Open tournament in Tokyo over Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in three sets on September 23, propelling him to the top of the BWF World Rankings.[23]

In 2018, Axelsen participated in the European Men's and Women's Team Badminton Championships and got a gold after suffered from a foot injury. He represented Denmark in the 2018 Thomas & Uber Cup. In the group stage, he defeated Vladimir Malkov from Russia and from Algeria. In the group stage match against Lee Chong Wei, he lost by two straight games 9–21, 19–21. In the quarter finals match against South Korea, he defeated Son Wan-ho, but he lost to the favorite and former world no. 2, Kento Momota in semi finals. Denmark was then eliminated in semi finals but not the defending champion of 2016 Thomas & Uber Cup. In August, Axelsen was unable to defend his world title where he was defeated by two-time World Champion and reigning Olympic Champion Chen Long in the quarter finals.[24]

Axelsen started the season by competing in Indonesia Masters. He finished as the semi-finalists after lost to home player the seventh seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in two straight games.[25] In February, he managed to defend his title in Barcelona Spain Masters after beat the Thai youngster Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight games 21–16, 21–13.[26] In March, he won the prestigious tournament All England Open, making history as the first European and Danes to lift the men's singles trophy since 1999.[27]

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2016	Riocentro – Pavilion 4, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Lin Dan	15–21, 21–10, 21–17	Bronze

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2017	Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland	Lin Dan	22–20, 21–16	Gold
2014	Ballerup Super Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark	Lee Chong Wei	9–21, 7–21	Bronze

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2018	Palacio de Deportes de Huelva, Huelva, Spain	Rajiv Ouseph	21–8, 21–7	Gold
2017	Sydbank Arena, Kolding, Denmark	Anders Antonsen	17–21, 16–21	Bronze
2016	Vendéspace, La Roche-sur-Yon, France	Jan Ø. Jørgensen	21–11, 21–16	Gold
2014	Gymnastics Center, Kazan, Russia	Jan Ø. Jørgensen	11–21, 13–21	Bronze
2012	Telenor Arena, Karlskrona, Sweden	Henri Hurskainen	21–18, 18–21, 17–21	Bronze

Boys' singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2011	Taoyuan Arena, Taipei, Taiwan	Zulfadli Zulkiffli	18–21, 21–9, 19–21	Silver
2010	Domo del Code Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Kang Ji-Wook	21–19, 21–10	Gold

Boys' singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2011	Energia Areena, Vantaa, Finland	Rasmus Fladberg	21–8, 17–21, 21–13	Gold

The BWF World Tour, announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[28] is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour are divided into six levels, namely World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.[29]

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Level	Opponent	Score	Result
2020	All England Open	Super 1000	Chou Tien-chen	21–13, 21–14	Winner
2020	Spain Masters	Super 300	Kunlavut Vitidsarn	21–16, 21–13	Winner
2020	Malaysia Masters	Super 500	Kento Momota	22–24, 11–21	Runner-up
2019	India Open	Super 500	Srikanth Kidambi	21–7, 22–20	Winner
2019	All England Open	Super 1000	Kento Momota	11–21, 21–15, 15–21	Runner-up
2019	Spain Masters	Super 300	Anders Antonsen	21–14, 21–11	Winner
2018	Indonesia Open	Super 1000	Kento Momota	14–21, 9–21	Runner-up
2018	Malaysia Masters	Super 500	Kenta Nishimoto	21–13, 21–23, 21–18	Winner

The BWF Superseries, launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries has two levels: Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries features twelve tournaments around the world, which introduced since 2011, with successful players invited to the Superseries Finals held at the year end.

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
2017	BWF Super Series Finals	Lee Chong Wei	19–21, 21–19, 21–15	Winner
2017	China Open	Chen Long	16–21, 21–14, 13–21	Runner-up
2017	Japan Open	Lee Chong Wei	21–14, 19–21, 21–14	Winner
2017	India Open	Chou Tien-chen	21–13, 21–10	Winner
2016	BWF Super Series Finals	Tian Houwei	21–14, 6–21, 21–17	Winner
2016	India Open	Kento Momota	15–21, 18–21	Runner-up
2015	BWF Super Series Finals	Kento Momota	15–21, 12–21	Runner-up
2015	Japan Open	Lin Dan	19–21, 21–16, 19–21	Runner-up
2015	Australian Open	Chen Long	12–21, 21–14, 18–21	Runner-up
2015	India Open	Srikanth Kidambi	21–18, 13–21, 12–21	Runner-up
2012	French Open	Liew Daren	18–21, 17–21	Runner-up

     Superseries Finals tournament

     Superseries Premier tournament

     Superseries tournament

The BWF Grand Prix has two levels, the BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007.

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
2015	Swiss Open	Srikanth Kidambi	14–21, 24–22, 21–8	Runner-up
2014	Swiss Open	Tian Houwei	21–7, 16–21, 25–23	Winner

     BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament

     BWF Grand Prix tournament

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
2013	Denmark International	Ville Lång	21–17, 21–8	Winner
2013	Dutch International	Eric Pang	24–22, 21–12	Winner
2011	Spanish Open	Pablo Abián	21–11, 7–21, 21–9	Winner
2011	Swedish International Stockholm	Pablo Abián	19–21, 6–21	Runner-up
2010	Cyprus International	Simon Maunoury	21–10, 21–11	Winner
2010	Swedish International Stockholm	Indra Bagus Ade Chandra	15–21, 12–21	Runner-up

     BWF International Challenge tournament

     BWF International Series tournament