As the new year approaches, a familiar face will join the sidelines. Peter Gade is becoming part of Viktor Axelsen's coaching team, working alongside current coach Henrik Rohde to further develop Axelsen's game.
Since the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, Viktor Axelsen has left the Danish national team setup and established his own training base in Dubai, where he has spent the past three years. While his daily routines will remain in Dubai, Axelsen will also train more frequently in Denmark at the Yonex Peter Gade Academy ahead of specific tournaments.
Axelsen, who turns 31 in January, emphasizes the importance of learning from Peter Gade's knowledge, particularly regarding optimizing performance in one’s 30s, as new challenges lie ahead.
Speaking to TV2 Sport Denmark, Peter Gade stated: “Even though he (Viktor Axelsen) has performed at an incredibly high level throughout his career, we need to look at the small percentages we can improve in various areas.”
The two are already well-acquainted, having trained together for a few years on the Danish national team during the early years of Axelsen’s career and the latter part of Gade’s. They also faced each other on court, notably at the 2011 Denmark Open, when a 17-year-old Axelsen met a 34-year-old Gade. Despite his age, Gade was still ranked world no. 4 at the time and went on to win the match in three sets.
It will be exciting to see what impact this new coaching collaboration will have on Viktor’s results and performances in the coming year. We wish the entire team the best of luck moving forward.