Birmingham, England – Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen suffered an early exit at the 2025 All England Open, losing to Taiwan’s Lin Chun-Yi in three games in the first round. Following the loss, the world No. 4 revealed that he is considering taking a longer break from competition.
Axelsen: “I Think It’s Time for a Break”
After his 1-2 loss to Lin Chun-Yi, Axelsen spoke to Denmark media, where he expressed deep disappointment over his performance and hinted at an extended time off the court.
🔹 Match Score: Lin Chun-Yi 2-1 Viktor Axelsen
Game 1: 21-19
Game 2: 13-21
Game 3: 21-11
📺 Watch the Highlights: Viktor Axelsen vs. Lin Chun-Yi (2025 All England First Round)
“I’m really frustrated. There’s not much to say. Bad performance, bad body, just bad overall. I played against an opponent who was much better than me today. That’s just the reality.”
“I didn’t have a great feeling before the match, and I think it will be a while before I return to the court.”
When asked to clarify, Axelsen refused to go into details but suggested that he might take a longer pause from competing.
“I think it’s time for a break. My body needs it. That’s the plan for now. I need to process this loss first, then discuss with my team what’s next.”
“Lin played at a really high level, and I wasn’t anywhere near my best. He deserved the win. Right now, I’m just disappointed I couldn’t play my best badminton today.”
Axelsen, who previously won the All England title twice, now faces uncertainty regarding his immediate playing schedule.
Meanwhile, Malaysia had mixed results on Wednesday.
🔹 Goh Sze Fei / Noor Izzuddin 2-0 Kim Gi Jung / Kim Sa Rang
Game 1: 21-17
Game 2: 21-14
Malaysia’s World No. 2 seeds Goh Sze Fei / Noor Izzuddin dominated South Korea’s Kim Gi Jung / Kim Sa Rang in straight games to secure a spot in the Round of 16.
Malaysia’s Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan Move Into Women’s Doubles Round of 16
Malaysia’s No. 5 seeds Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan staged an impressive comeback victory in the women’s doubles first round, defeating Taiwan’s Teng Chun-Hsun / Yang Chu-Yun in three games.
🔹 Final Score: Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan 2-1 Teng Chun-Hsun / Yang Chu-Yun
Game 1: 19-21
Game 2: 21-15
Game 3: 21-13
After losing a tight first game, Tan/Thinaah regrouped, storming through the second game and dominating the decider.
They now move on to face Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu / Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, who battled past Taiwan’s Hsu Yin-Hui / Lin Jhih Yun in three sets.
What’s Next?
Will Viktor Axelsen step away from competition for an extended period?
Can Malaysia’s top doubles pairs push deeper into the tournament?
Stay tuned for more badminton news and updates from the 2025 All England Open! 🏸🔥
