Axelsen named in Denmark’s World Championships squad – Bøje/Christiansen return

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Axelsen named in Denmark’s World Championships squad – Bøje/Christiansen return

08/05/25 13:53

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2 Minute Read

Viktor Axelsen has been officially named in Denmark’s squad for the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2025, marking a potential comeback for the Olympic champion just months after undergoing back surgery.

The comeback
The men’s singles star, who last competed at the All England Open in March, has since been sidelined following an endoscopic surgery and a challenging recovery process. In a vlog posted days ago, Axelsen revealed that his rehab had been delayed and that he’d activated his protected ranking—a move that ruled him out for at least three months.

Now, there’s renewed hope that the two-time Olympic medallist will return to court in time to compete in Paris.

“It’s going well with Viktor’s rehab,” said Denmark’s head coach to Badminton Denmark. “That’s why we’ve selected him. There’s a good chance he’ll be ready for the World Championships in three and a half months.”

Should he recover in time, the World Championships will take place in the same venue where Axelsen captured Olympic gold last summer—an inspiring return that could set the badminton world on fire.

First international championship for Bøje/Christiansen since return
Also selected is the mixed doubles pair of Alexandra Bøje / Mathias Christiansen, marking their first international championship together since Christiansen’s suspension last year.

After a successful and interesting run together with Netherlands' Robin Tabeling, which resulted in a title win at the German Open 2024. Now, Bøje is ready to compete again with her long-time partner Mathias Christiansen.

“Mathias has used his suspension time very wisely,” said Stavngaard. “We believe they have real medal potential. They’ve beaten most of the top 10 pairs, including the current number 1 and 2 in the world.”

Christiansen will rejoin training at the National Elite Training Centre from 21 May, giving the pair three and a half months to prepare.

Silver medallists return
Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, who took silver at the 2023 World Championships in Copenhagen, also make their return. They are joined by men’s doubles duo Rasmus Kjær and Frederik Søgaard.