Flying high after yet another strong performance in their nascent career together, Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund are among the mixed doubles pairs to watch as the season unfolds.

The Danish duo came together in June 2024 for the Nantes International Challenge and duly won their first tournament; since then, they have been among the fastest-rising pairs on the circuit. With title wins at the Canada Open 2024, Hylo Open and last week’s Orleans Masters, Toft and Magelund are on a high as they look at making an impression at their first YONEX All England as a pair.

“It’s my first All England, so I’m really humbled to be here, to get the chance to play the second round,” said Toft. “We have to stay humble and believe in ourselves and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

The start was auspicious as they overcame Malaysians Wong Tien Ci/Lim Chiew Sien 21-16 21-19; up next will be the pair they beat in last week’s final, Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.

“We’re facing the opponents from last week’s final, but it’s going to be a completely different match because it’s in different conditions; this is much slower than last week, but we’re looking forward to going on court tomorrow,” said Magelund.

What explains the fantastic run they’ve enjoyed in the brief time they’ve had together?

“I think we make each other better, we just play really well together,” says Magelund. “We play the same game, we have the same mindset on how we want to play, and that’s succeeded really well. We play a lot on instinct, both of us, and that’s what I think makes us a great pair.”

Toft believes it’s their willingness to take risks and not back down that has seen them succeed.

“We are players who like to take chances when it’s there, we’re not afraid of trying to win, and if we fail, we won’t go down on ourselves; we believe in our strengths.”

What Others Said

“I’ve played almost all the major events, just not the All England. Really excited. I wasn’t sure what to expect in the first round. For me, it was like zero expectations, but so much excitement. I just have to contain it. Really amazing to play here.” – Rohan Kapoor

“I have been unwell since two days. I felt that I could manage, and I thought I’d be well enough to play today. However, my opponent was difficult to catch. I felt I made a lot of errors.” – Kodai Naraoka, after losing to Yushi Tanaka

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