Viktor Axelsen is a Danish badminton player who has achieved remarkable success in his sport.
He is currently the world number one men’s singles player, two-time world champion and reigning Olympic champion.
He is also the first European singles player to win the World Junior Championships and the only player to win World Championships on three continents.
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- Full name: Viktor Axelsen
- Date of birth: January 4, 1994
- Age: 29 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Odense, Denmark
- Nationality: Danish
- Occupation: Badminton player
- Height: 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
- Parents: Henrik Axelsen (father), Gitte Axelsen (mother)
- Siblings: None
- Spouse: Natalia Koch Rohde (girlfriend)
- Children: 2
- Relationship status: Girlfriend
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Viktor Axelsen, who turns 29 in 2023, was born on January 4, 1994 in Odense, Denmark, to Henrik and Gitte Axelsen.
He was an only child and grew up in a middle-class family. His father was a former badminton player and manager, while his mother was a nurse. He started playing badminton at the age of six, following in his father’s footsteps.
He joined the local club Odense Badminton Klub and showed great talent and passion for the sport. He won his first national championship title in 2006 when he was 12 years old.
He attended Odense International School and then Odense Katedralskole, where he balanced his studies with badminton practice.
He graduated from high school in 2012 and decided to pursue a professional badminton career.
Personal life
Viktor Axelsen is dating Natalia Koch Rohde, a Danish badminton player in women’s doubles.
They met at the national training center in Copenhagen and started dating in 2015. They often share their love and support for each other on social media and attend events together.
They live in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where they train and enjoy the warm weather. They have two daughters, named Vega Rohde Axelsen and Aya Rohde Axelsen.
He learned Mandarin from his Chinese coaches and friends and often uses Mandarin to communicate with fans and opponents from China. He is also interested in Chinese culture and history and enjoys watching Chinese movies and reading Chinese books.
He is a fan of Chinese martial arts actor Jackie Chan, and he has a tattoo of his name in Chinese characters on his right arm. He is also a fan of the Danish soccer team and the American basketball team Los Angeles Lakers.
Career
Viktor Axelsen has had a stellar badminton career, winning many titles and awards. He made his international debut in 2009 when he represented Denmark at the European Mixed Team Championships.
He became the first European singles player to win the 2010 World Junior Championships, defeating South Korean Kang Ji-wook in the final.
He also won a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore that year. He made his senior debut in 2011 and won his first Grand Prix title at the Bitburger Open. He also reached the quarterfinals of the World Championships in London, losing to eventual champion Lin Dan of China.
He continued to improve his game and ranking and won his first Superseries title at the 2015 India Open.
He also reached the semi-finals of the All England Open, World Championships and the 2016 Rio Olympics, losing to Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei on all three occasions.
He finally broke the curse and won his first world title in 2017, defeating Chinese star Chen Long in the final.
He also became the world’s number one ranked player for the first time that year. He defended his 2019 world championship title, defeating Indonesian player Anthony Ginting in the final.
That year, he also won the BWF World Tour Finals, defeating China’s Shi Yuqi in the final. He achieved his dream of becoming the 2020 Olympic champion, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen in the final. He also won the Thomas Cup with Denmark that year, defeating Indonesia in the final.
He became the first athlete to win world championships on three different continents and the second to win the world championships, the Olympic Games and the Thomas Cup, after Lin Dan.
He maintained his dominance in badminton and won his third world title in 2022, defeating Indian star Kidambi Srikanth in the final.
He also won the All-England Open, Indonesia Open and Denmark Open that year. He is currently the world number one and has won 18 Superseries and World Tour titles.
Argumentative
Viktor Axelsen has sometimes faced some criticism or backlash for his outspokenness, such as when he complained about the poor air quality and badminton quality at the 2018 India Open or when he criticized the Badminton World Federation for its lack of transparency and communication regarding the tournament schedule and ranking system.
However, he always clarified his intentions and apologized for any misunderstanding or offense caused by his comments.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @viktoraxelsen
- Twitter Name: @ViktorAxelsen
Net worth
Viktor Axelsen has a net worth of $5 million. He makes money from awards, endorsement deals, sponsorships, and appearance fees.
He is sponsored by brands such as Yonex, Red Bull, Adidas, Rolex, Audi and Huawei.
