4 min readUpdated: Apr 15, 2026 12:49 PM IST
Two-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion Viktor Axelsen has announced his retirement from badminton due to a persistent back injury. The 32-year-old Axelsen said that he did not want to retire but was being forced to make the decision after nerve pain in his back prevented him from doing even basic training on court.
In an emotional post on his Instagram account, Axelsen wrote: “Today is not an easy day for me. Due to my recurrent back issues, I am no longer able to compete and train at the highest level. Accepting this situation has been incredibly difficult.
“Since the day I picked up a racket, I knew my dream was to become the best in the world. I have given everything to this sport. It has never been just a career to me. It has been my life and I have left no stone unturned… I have accomplished everything I once dreamed of, and more,” Axelsen added.
Over the span of an rampaging career, Axelsen claimed Olympic gold medals at Tokyo 2020 and then Paris 2024. He also has a bronze from Rio 2016 besides two World Championships titles (2017 and 2022). His dominance of men’s singles is marked by him staying world No.1 for 100 consecutive weeks.
On the Instagram post, Axelsen noted that after he had undergone endoscopic surgery he had tried taking multiple injections and new training methods and treatments in order to be able to play.
“After basically trying everything to become pain-free for a long time now, I have been advised to focus on my long-term health,” Axelsen wrote.
“To be honest it’s not me making the decision. It’s my body making the decision for me. That’s the hard part,” Axelsen said on The Average Not Average Podcast where he announced his retirement. “It’s not that I want to retire, it’s simply because I’m not able to do the training required. But it is very tough for me not to be able to say stop or have one last dance. But that’s just how my story is, I guess.”
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Axelsen also spoke at length with Badminton Europe, where he detailed his injury and rehab timeline.
“As most people know, I have been struggling with my back for quite some time. After I had surgery in April last year and went through a long rehabilitation process, I unfortunately had a setback in October. Since those tournaments, I have not been able to play or train at the level required. I have not been able to play or train due to pain, and that is why I am unfortunately forced to make this extremely difficult decision,” Axelsen told Badminton Europe.
WATCH: Viktor Axelsen speaks about why he retired at 32
“The decision has been made in consultation with the surgeon who operated on me last year, as well as the doctors I have been working with. They say that with the pain I am experiencing now, it could potentially require another surgery, and if that does not go well, even a more serious procedure might be necessary. In any case, it would mean I would not be able to compete at the level required. So, it is simply my body telling me to stop, and I have to follow the advice of my doctors,” Axelsen said.
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