Viktor Axelsen: Top facts you did not know about the Danish star

Viktor Axelsen shot to fame when he clinched bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

More so because he defeated the two-time and defending Olympic badminton champion, Lin Dan in the bronze medal playoffs.

Axelsen has since gone on to become world champion in 2017 and won the prestigious All England Open in 2020.

The Dane has racked up 12 world tour titles and many other medals since making his senior debut in 2009.

But here are a few things that you might not know about the 27-year-old .

Axelsen debuted for Denmark as a doubles player

Viktor Axelsen made his senior debut at the 2009 Denmark Open at the age of 15 but not in men's singles.

His first senior international tournament in October that year was as a men's doubles player, partnering Steffan Rasmussen. The duo faced compatriots Rasmus Nielsen and Michael Them in the qualifying draw for the tournament, but were eliminated in a closely fought match, 21-16, 23-25, 19-21.

At his next appearance two months later, this time around Axelsen entered the men's singles qualifying draw for the 2009 Turkiye International and won all three of his matches to earn a spot in the main tournament.

He went on to win his first two matches and made it to the quarter-finals where he lost to compatriot Kristian Nielsen.

In hindsight, perhaps it was fortunate that his senior debut kicked off with a loss, or else he might not have pursued a path in badminton men's singles.

Axelsen v Momota goes way back!

Statistically, Axelsen has played reigning world champion Momota Kento 15 times on the world tour circuit.

The Dane has only managed one win over his Japanese rival to-date - during their second encounter at the 2014 German Open. Since then, Momota has had the upper hand every time.

But it turns out that the two have played each other even before they made it to the senior world tour.

Both Axelsen and Momota competed at the 2010 World Junior Championships, in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Japanese was eliminated in the third round while Axelsen went on to clinch the title.

At the same tournament, in the mixed teams championships known as the Suhandinata Cup, Japan beat Denmark 3-1 but it was a then 16-year-old Axelsen who clinched the solitary point for the Danes when he defeated then 15-year-old Momota Kento in straight sets 21-8, 21-7.

Axelsen speaks Mandarin

Axelsen's affinity for the game also inspired him to learn Mandarin, so he can communicate better with the journalists and fans from the nation where some of the badminton greats come from.

It has also helped him foster an even closer relationship with one of his coaches, Zhang Lianying, who moved from China to join the Danish national team's coaching line-up.

Axelsen is bigger than you think on social media

It's common for athletes today to harness the power of social media for their own benefit, and Axelsen is no different.

He has a strong 400,000 followers on Instagram and maintains a presence on Twitter as well.

In 2017 he started his own YouTube channel which now has 120,000 subscribers. On his channel, he posts video blogs, playing tips, trick shot tutorials as well as question and answer sessions with his fans. It even has his top tips for a better sleep. To-date he has racked up almost 5 million views for the videos that he has posted.

But perhaps his most well kept secret from his English and Danish speaking audience, is his Weibo account, China's equivalent of Twitter. Thanks to him learning Mandarin, he can engage directly with the fans in China and has a following just shy of 850,000 fans.

Badminton runs in the family

Axelsen's fiancee Natalia Koch Rohde is also an accomplished women's singles player.

The 25-year-old has won four international titles on tour and both of them were on the same national squad that finished runners-up in the 2013 European Mixed Team Championship and then went on to win the titles for Denmark in 2015 and 2017.

Rohde last competed at the Uber Cup in May of 2018.

Last October she gave birth to their baby daughter Vega Rohde Axelsen.

Family business

Axelsen is managed by his father, Henrik Axelsen.

Henrik used to run a small advertising agency but his son's stellar success on the badminton court has required him to now dedicate himself to managing Viktor full-time.

There's a business side to Axelsen

Apart from his full-time job as a badminton player, Axelsen is leveraging off his success and has also developed his own self-named brand.

He has a webshop that sells merchandise and even bikes and watches with his signature branding on it.

Axelsen has even created his own heath supplement brand**,** which offers an exclusive range of dietary supplements and instant superfood targeted towards helping optimise immunity, digestive comfort, performance and mental health.