World No.5 Viktor Axelsen, the 2017 world champion, has pulled out of the upcoming TOTAL BWF World Championships 2019 citing a back injury.

“I’m very sad and disappointed about the situation. The World Championships is the biggest event of the year and I had obviously been looking forward to playing. I’ve done everything I could to get ready for the World Championships, but I must also be realistic and listen to my body and to the doctors’ advice,” Axelsen said, according to a press release from Badminton Denmark.

The injury is a disc protrusion in the lower back, which is a precursor to a slipped disc, causing pain in the back and legs.

The 25-year-old has had a tough season with allergies that kept him out of the European Games in June, and the back injury that ruled him out of the Indonesia Open and the Japan Open recently.

Badminton Denmark expressed their disappointment, but said they did not want to take any chances with Axelsen’s health.

“Viktor is one of the world’s best badminton players and was the biggest medal candidate for Denmark for the upcoming World Championships. Therefore, it is of course very unfortunate for both him and Denmark that he will not play at the World Championships.”

Badminton Denmark added that Axelsen and Team Denmark’s medical staff had struggled to make him ready for the World Championships, and while his condition had improved, it had not healed sufficiently.

“We are taking no chances with the athlete’s health, no matter how big the championship is all about,” said Badminton Denmark’s elite and sports director Jens Meibom.