Viktor Axelsen announced his retirement from professional badminton on April 15, 2026. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Double Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen retired from professional badminton on Wednesday (April 15, 2026), saying he was no longer able to train and compete at the highest level following back surgery in April last year. The Dane spent more than 100 consecutive weeks as world number one, a mark surpassed in total duration only by Lee Chong Wei, and won Olympic gold in Tokyo and Paris, as well as bronze in Rio in 2016. He also won world championship titles in 2017 and 2022. Published – April 15, 2026 12:56 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation Telangana swelters as temperatures breach 43°C mark in five places, Hyderabad records 40.9°C Sakti power plant explosion: Death toll climbs to 16 in Chhattisgarh