“Accepting this situation has been incredibly difficult. But I have now reached a point where my body won’t allow me to continue.
“Since the day I picked up a racket, I knew my dream was to become the best in the world.”
Axelsen spent more than 100 consecutive weeks as world number one, a mark surpassed only by Malaysian great Lee Chong Wei, who held the rank for 349 weeks.
He won the season-ending World Tour Finals five times and claimed 10 Super 1000 tournaments.
“I have accomplished everything I once dreamed of, and more,” Axelsen said.
“What makes it hardest to say goodbye is not the competition itself, but everything around it. The journey, the daily grind, the people.
“I have given everything to this sport. It has never been just a career to me. It has been my life and I have left no stone unturned.”