The qualification rounds for this year’s STATE Denmark Challenge 2026 presented by RSL begin today, as many of Europe’s top players and rising talents get ready to compete in Brøndbyhallen.

This year’s tournament is being played in Brøndbyhallen, where the Danish national team trains on a daily basis, and Denmark also has a strong lineup across several categories.

Strong Men’s Singles Field

In men’s singles, Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen and Ditlev Jæger Holm are among the home favourites. Both players were part of the Danish team that won bronze at this month’s Thomas Cup.

The men’s singles draw also features Sweden’s top player Gustav Björkler, former European Championships medallist Joakim Oldorff from Finland, Germany’s top men’s singles player Matthias Kicklitz and England’s highest-ranked men’s singles player Harry Huang.

It is a very strong men’s singles field that will compete in Brøndby this week.

Big European Names in Women’s Singles

The women’s singles draw also includes several strong European names.

Denmark’s Amalie Schulz enters the tournament as top seed, while Germany’s Yvonne Li is seeded third.

Former European Championships medallist Vivien Sándorházi and Türkiye’s Özge Bayrak are also among the top names competing this week.

Exciting Men’s Doubles Draw

In men’s doubles, fans can look forward to seeing the always entertaining French pair Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi, who earlier this month helped France secure its first-ever Thomas Cup medal.

Denmark’s still relatively new pairing of Christian Faust Kjær and Rasmus Kjær are seeded second on home soil in Brøndby.

European Championships bronze medallists from earlier this year Alex Green and Zach Russ are also part of the draw.

Strong Doubles Lineups Across the Board

In women’s doubles, notable pairs include Poland’s Paulina Cybulska and Kornelia Marczak, the Dutch duo Debora Jille and Meerle Loos, as well as England’s Abbygael Harris and Estelle van Leeuwen.

Estelle van Leeuwen also arrives in Brøndby after winning silver at last month’s European Championships together with Callum Hemming. The English pair are seeded second in mixed doubles this week.

The Dutch pair Brian Wassink and Debora Jille are seeded third, while Germany’s Simon Krax and Amelie Lehmann are seeded fourth.

Top seeds are Denmark’s Rasmus Espersen and Amalie Cecilie Kudsk. The Danish pair will soon split up, as Kudsk is set to begin a new partnership with Jesper Toft.

The first qualification matches are already underway, and all matches can be watched live and free on badmintoneurope.tv