World badminton will be without one of its biggest stars at the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2025, as two-time world champion Viktor Axelsen has announced his withdrawal from the competition. The Danish player shared the news on August 7, 2025, on his Instagram story, citing the need for more rehabilitation time following surgery.
Axelsen, a two-time World Champion and Olympic gold medalist, had undergone endoscopic surgery in April to repair a disc herniation and was hoping to make his highly anticipated return to the court at the championships in Paris. However, in a statement shared on social media, the Dane explained that his medical team advised him to continue his rehabilitation, making it impossible to be tournament-ready in time for the event.
“After careful consultation with my medical team, I’ve been advised to dedicate more time to my rehabilitation,” Axelsen’s statement read. “As a result, I unfortunately won’t be able to get tournament-ready in time to compete safely at the upcoming World Championships.”
Despite the setback, Axelsen expressed a positive and determined outlook. “While it’s tough to miss such a big event, I’m not discouraged. On the contrary, I’m highly motivated to keep pushing forward with my rehab and set myself a new goal to come back stronger,” he added.
The TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2025 is scheduled to take place in Paris, France, from Monday, August 25 to Sunday, August 31. Axelsen’s absence leaves a significant void in the men’s singles draw, which will now be contested by a field of top players including current world No. 1 Shi Yuqi and Denmark’s Anders Antonsen.