Source:Sipa USA /SOPA Images
[Saba Sports News] In the middle of the week, Viktor Axelsen announced his withdrawal from the Malaysia Open badminton tournament scheduled for January 6-11, 2026, and the India Open from January 13-18. As two of the most anticipated high-level events marking the start of the new season, the points from the Malaysia and India Opens directly affect world rankings and are traditionally highly competitive among top players.Over the past year, Axelsen has been plagued by left hip nerve pain, suspected to be caused by a herniated disc compressing nerves. He underwent endoscopic surgery for back issues as early as March 2025. Although he made a comeback in the second half of the year, his performance has remained disappointing. He was eliminated in the first round of the Hong Kong Open, suffering a significant defeat to Naraoka Kōdai. At the China Masters, he exited in the second round, losing to Alex Lanier.Despite showing some improvement at the Denmark Open by reaching the semifinals, he lost to Shi Yu Qi. In the subsequent French Open, he was again defeated in the quarterfinals, this time by compatriot Anders Antonsen. This series of setbacks has caused his world ranking to drop to 30th. Recently, it has been difficult to find footage of him on the court in his social media accounts, with only strength training videos suggesting he is maintaining his fitness.Insiders indicate that Axelsen is likely to rest until just before the All England Open in March 2026 before attempting a return, meaning he will miss the early season points battles. In light of this, he has officially requested ranking protection from the BWF.