The wait is over. One of the most prestigious tournaments in badminton, the YONEX All England Open, has just started, and one of the biggest stars, Viktor Axelsen, is ready to fight for what could be his third title in the Super 1000 tournament.
Fresh off a tough yet great run at the YONEX German Open, Axelsen arrives in Birmingham with momentum on his side. The Dane overcame many challenging matches in Germany to claim the title, a feat that he believes has set him up well for his biggest goal – excelling at the All England, once again.
"It was a hard-fought tournament win for me. A lot of three games, a lot of tough matches, but I’m very happy and satisfied about the way I handled everything. It’s been very good match training for me," Axelsen said after his victory in Mülheim.
With Peter Gade now joining Henrik 'PK' Rohde in his coaching team, the Olympic champion continues to strengthen his support system. The German Open title was the first with Gade on the coaching chair, and Axelsen is happy with the dynamic.
"It’s been great. We have a strong team," he shared. But the focus is clear – the All England has been the ultimate goal all along.
"My training has been pretty tough leading up to this [All England]. I want to do very well here [German Open], but I also think that you have to prioritise, and of course, the All England is my biggest target."
Axelsen will first step on court in Birmingham tomorrow against Chinese Taipei’s Chun-Yi Lin, who sits at number 12 in the world ranking. The two last met at the Singapore Open, where Axelsen had to fight through three games to secure the win. With a 3-0 head-to-head record, the Dane will look to make it 4-0 as to advance to the round of 16.
Meanwhile, many European players are already playing today, with 14 matches featuring players from the continent. You can check today’s order of play
here.