Axelsen’s ranking slide raises alarm
Months on the sidelines
Viktor Axelsen has not played a competitive match since October 24 last year. The ongoing absence is due to renewed back problems, the same issue that forced him to undergo surgery in April 2025 and kept him out for half a season.
According to TV 2 Sport, Axelsen has acknowledged that he currently has no clear timeline for a return. The situation is no longer only about regaining form, but about whether his body will allow him to compete at the highest level again.
Ranking consequences grow sharper
The extended layoff has already pushed Axelsen down to number 30 in the world rankings. While that position still sits inside the top 32 cutoff for automatic entry into major tournaments, the margin is narrowing rapidly.
According to calculations published by TV 2 Sport, a large share of Axelsen’s current ranking points stems from his victory at the India Open last year. Those points are now beginning to expire, triggering a significant slide.
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Protected ranking clock is ticking
A key deadline looms on February 16, when Axelsen’s protected ranking expires. The system has allowed him to enter tournaments based on his former position near the top of the rankings, despite his current absence.
Once the protection ends, that safety net disappears. TV 2 Sport expert Jim Laugesen warned that the implications could be severe.
“It will be catastrophic if he is out for much longer,” Laugesen said in comments to TV 2 Sport, adding that Axelsen may be forced to rebuild his ranking through lower level European tournaments.
Projected drop outside the elite
According to TV 2 Sport’s projections, Axelsen is set to lose 14,000 points in January alone, which would push him down to around number 51. Further point losses in early March could see him fall close to number 77 in the world.
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Such a ranking would rule him out of entry to major events like the All England Championships and confine him to significantly smaller tournaments, a sharp contrast to the stage he has dominated for years.
Rules leave little room for exceptions
The international badminton federation, BWF, has confirmed that current regulations do not allow a protected ranking to be paused or reapplied once it has been used.
“In the current regulations, there is no possibility to suspend a protected ranking,” BWF stated in a written response to TV 2 Sport.
Axelsen himself has previously expressed concern about the long term impact of the injury. Speaking in December, he said he hoped the setback would not cost him his career, while admitting that the outlook did not appear especially positive.
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A defining phase for a champion
Jim Laugesen has argued that BWF should examine whether the rules adequately protect the sport’s biggest names. However, for now, the regulations remain unchanged.
For Axelsen, a two time Olympic gold medalist and former world number one, the coming weeks may prove decisive, not only for his ranking, but for how and where his comeback can realistically begin.
Sources: TV 2 Sport, BWF
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