It’s the end for Jan on Oct 18
PETALING JAYA: Denmark’s singles shuttler Jan O Jorgensen – a former world No. 2 – is set to call it a day on his illustrious 15-year career.
But the 32-year-old will not hang up his racquet just yet. He wants to compete in a few more tournaments when the badminton season resumes in September.
Jorgensen, now ranked 22nd, will be making his last appearance at the Denmark Open, where he earned his sole victory in 2010.
The tournament is scheduled for Oct 13-18, just a week after the Thomas Cup Finals in Aarhus from Oct 3-11.
The big question, however, is whether he will make himself available for Thomas Cup selection.
That’s because Jorgensen trained with the national team for the last time in Copenhagen yesterday. He will relocate to Germany with his wife Stine Jorgensen, who is playing professional handball there.
Stine has also just announced her retirement from the Danish national team.
Jorgensen’s absence would be a big blow for the hosts of the prestigious team competition as they have already lost the services of two experienced doubles players in Mathias Boe and MadsConrad Petersen in the past two months.
Jorgensen, Boe and Petersen were all members of the 2016 Cup-winning side in Kunshan, China.
Jorgensen said he has had enough of his struggle with heel and hip injuries over the past five years.
“I have been fighting to get back to the level I was at before the injuries,” said the 2014 European champion in a press release on Badminton Denmark’s official site.
“A lot has happened in the men’s singles since 2017 and the game has developed. My motivation and eagerness have been low lately,
“I must be honest with myself, when I cannot compete among the best players in the big tournaments.
“This decision is not made out of the blue. It hurts every day, and now I cannot stand that any more,” added Jorgensen.
Although being regarded as a leading European shuttler of his generation, Jorgensen has failed to live up to his potential in major events.
A two-time Olympian – at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games – he could only manage a last 16 place on both occasions.
Jorgensen secured a podium finish only once at the World Championships, when he lost in the semi-finals to Lee Chong Wei in Jakarta 2015.
However, he does hold the distinction of being the first and only European men’s singles to have won the Indonesian (in 2014) and China Opens (2016) to date.
Jorgensen has been battling with hip and heel injuries for the past five years.