Why they rank here
The dominant men's singles player of the 2020s and Europe's finest since the amateur era, Viktor Axelsen became the first non-Asian man in decades to rule the sport outright. The 1.94-metre Dane won Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 and defended it in Paris 2024, and holds two World titles (2017, 2022) plus All England crowns in 2020 and 2022. Blending a colossal reach, a steep jump smash and hard-won patience, he strung together a spell of near-total dominance around 2021 and 2022, losing only a handful of matches across the seasons. Fluent in Mandarin and famously professional, he relocated to train at altitude in Dubai to extend his career. His rivalries — with Kento Momota, and later a rising field of Asian challengers — have defined the post-Lin Dan landscape and proved that the sport's summit is no longer an Asian monopoly.
Career profile
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Head-to-head
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