Copenhagen: Anders Skaarup Rasmussen’s elbow injury has thrown a wrench into Denmark’s 2025 All England aspirations, forcing the world’s No. 1 men’s doubles pair to lower their expectations ahead of the prestigious tournament.
It has been over a month since Rasmussen and Kim Astrup last competed together, as Rasmussen has been sidelined since mid-January due to an elbow injury requiring rest and rehabilitation. During this time, Astrup has continued playing in the Danish Nationals and European Team Championships with different partners.
With just a few weeks left before the All England begins on March 11, the duo is finally back training together.
“Now we can finally get back on court together, which is a relief. Hopefully, we can make up for lost time in the next two and a half weeks before stepping onto the court in Birmingham,” Rasmussen told Danish media.
Winning All England This Year Seems Unlikely
The All England Open, recognized as the oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament in the world, holds Super 1000 status, making it a major target for top players.
Winning the tournament remains a dream for Astrup and Rasmussen, but they acknowledge that 2025 may not be their year due to the lack of training time together.
“Maybe we’ll win it next year. Given how much training we’ve missed, we have to adjust our expectations,” said Kim Astrup.
“This is the first serious injury Anders has had to deal with, so expecting to suddenly win the All England would be unrealistic.”
Prioritizing Recovery Over Results
With their title chances slim, the pair has shifted focus to playing without pain rather than aiming for gold.
“A successful tournament for us would be simply playing without Anders experiencing pain in his elbow,” Astrup added.
Rasmussen confirmed that his elbow is improving, allowing him to return to on-court training. However, he emphasized that winning the All England this time is not a realistic goal.
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but we won’t be stepping onto the court as the strongest pair in the draw,” he admitted.
All England 2025 Kicks Off March 11
The All England Open begins on March 11, and fans can follow all the updated badminton news on BadmintonPlanet.com. While Astrup and Rasmussen may not be title favorites this year, their journey back to full strength will be one to watch.
