Axelsen hopes for longer tournament period for Super 1000 events

KUALA LUMPUR: Two-time world champion Viktor Axelsen has called for Super 1000 tournaments on the Badminton World Federation calendar to be extended.

The Danish shuttler made the suggestion after noting that the US Open tennis tournament, scheduled from Aug 24-Sept 7, will now run for 15 days starting this year.

The Australian Open and Roland Garros have already made similar changes, leaving Wimbledon as the only Grand Slam still played over 14 days.

Just like tennis, which has its four Grand Slam tournaments, badminton features four prestigious Super 1000 events in the BWF World Tour namely Malaysian Open, All-England, Indonesian Open, and China Open.

Axelsen believes a longer tournament period would not only give players more time to recover but also generate greater excitement and engagement for fans.

Currently, Axelsen, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, feels there is little distinction between Super 1000 tournaments and those of a lower tier, such as the Super 500 events.

“The All-England and other Super 1000 tournaments could run for 10 days or more. It would give players an extra one or two rest days, create more hype around the matches and provide more opportunities for media and fans to interact with the players,” said Axelsen.

However, unlike tennis, badminton tournaments are typically held over six to seven days, with a tightly packed schedule between each event.

For example, the Malaysian Open, a Super 1000 event that marks the season opener for the BWF World Tour this year, is scheduled for six days. Just two days after the event concludes, many players are forced to travel to New Delhi to compete in the Indian Open.

The following week, they head to Jakarta for the Indonesian Masters, and some are still battling it out at the Thailand Masters this week.

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