SINGAPORE – When he was 16, Viktor Axelsen did not just grab attention for becoming the first European to win the world junior badminton championships boys’ singles title, but also stood out for being a head above most players.

But, before the still-growing teenager went on to upset the sport’s world order, he was also disturbed by his stature.

The Danish world No. 1 recounted: “I was told if I got too tall I would be unsuitable to play men’s singles, and I felt enormous pressure.”

When he was 17 and applied for a new passport, he was crestfallen when told he was 1.9m.

Axelsen said: “This was taller than almost all the top men’s singles players. I was so disappointed, I didn’t want to be so tall because I didn’t want to not be able to play men’s singles.

“When things weren’t going my way in training or tournaments, negativity grew inside me and I sometimes blamed it on my body type.

“I thought being lighter would help my game. But I got so thin, I had absolutely no energy after my practices and my performance suffered.”

Instead, Axelsen, who is now 1.94m, changed his mindset, refusing to be limited by what many felt was a shortcoming and rose to become one of the best players.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, he shared how he had a soft spot for the Republic as he recorded his “first really good result” at the 2011 Singapore Open where he beat China’s Bao Chunlai, the 1.91m former world No. 1 and someone he admired.

Axelsen, who turned 30 on Jan 4, said: “That gave me the confidence to know that... I could go far because I realised many players don’t have the opportunity to play and train that much against a player like me.

“I was able to generate a lot of steep angles and my attack was really good from a young age. If I could improve my defence, it would be a unique opportunity for me to have the full package as a player.”

One Olympic gold, two senior world titles, one Thomas Cup triumph, 27 BWF World Tour and Superseries titles, and more than 100 consecutive weeks as world No. 1 have cemented his place among the greats.

In December 2023, he became the first player to win the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals five times.

Since his Olympic gold in August 2021, he has racked up a whopping 18 individual titles, losing a miserly 11 of his 133 matches – falling in only one final when Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn beat him in three games at the 2023 India Open.

Not only has he overcome concerns over his body type, but Axelsen also almost always looks like he is in control.

He said: “When you have proof of concept so many times and won so many tournaments, it gives you confidence.

“If you know how your state of mind and physical preparations have been, and if you can keep calm and play relaxed, that will give you a good opportunity to have a good result.”

Just eight players have beaten him since Tokyo 2020, and only India’s H. S. Prannoy (thrice) and Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew (twice) have managed to register more than one win against Axelsen.

Ahead of their first-round meeting at the Jan 9-14 Malaysia Open, world No. 10 and close friend Loh said: “His focus and discipline during practice and how he continues to seek perfection is amazing.

“He manages his time very well and he knows clearly what he wants and what he’s doing.”

Axelsen is also not afraid to be different off the court. He picked up Mandarin 10 years ago as a challenge after his family and friends scoffed at the idea.

Now he is proficient enough to field interviews, communicate with Chinese fans, players and sponsors with more than 1.2 million followers on Weibo.

After the Tokyo Olympics, he left the national team set-up for Dubai to facilitate shorter travelling time to Asian tournaments and have more family time with his partner Natalia Rohde and daughters Vega and Aya, born in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

He was not afraid to invite other top players to train together and spar, and did not hold back from criticising the Badminton World Federation for neglecting the welfare of players and the late payment of prize money.

Yet, he is also humble enough to play impromptu pick-up games with kids on the streets.

He said: “With experience and experiments, I found my own path. I believe that staying true to yourself is a big part of my success... because I don’t waste any energy trying to be something I’m not.

“It takes so little to make a difference.. and many people look up to us as players. To be able to motivate and inspire especially the younger generation is a privilege.

“I don’t take this for granted, so I really try to promote badminton and show I’m just a normal person who took badminton very seriously and had fun with it as well. Hopefully, it can give them the belief that they can do it too.”

While he is a huge favourite in the new season, he is not taking anything for granted as he works with his trainer Sean Casey on nutrition and physical fitness to peak for Paris 2024.

He said: “The Olympics are the overall biggest goal by far. I want to play as long as I’m still able to be competitive in the biggest tournaments.

“I take one year at a time but hopefully I can still play for three to five years more... let’s see if I have another Olympics in me at Los Angeles.”

For the great Dane, Lin Dan is the best of all time and, while comparisons are inevitable, surpassing the retired Chinese legend is never on his agenda.

Axelsen said: “I want to be remembered as a player who was true to himself on and off the court and never gave up. Even as success has come and I’ve won so much, I’ve not changed who I am and I’m really proud about that.”