Fab’ Freddie agonisingly close to London 2012

Denmark’s new Wimbledon doubles champion needs just a single cancellation to be guaranteed a spot in the Olympics

On Saturday, Frederik Løchte Nielsen became the first Dane to win a grand slam tournament in 55 years when he lifted the Wimbledon doubles trophy, a victory that could send him back to London later this month as a member of the Danish Olympic team.

Nielsen accomplished one of the greatest Danish tennis triumphs in history by winning men’s doubles at arguably the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Not since Kurt Nielsen, Nielsen’s grandfather, hoisted the US Open mixed doubles trophy in 1957 has any Dane won a grand slam tournament.

Despite being un-seeded, wildcard entry and therefore massive underdogs, Nielsen and partner Jonathan Marray defied tennis lore by defeating the 2, 5, 8 and 9 seeds on their way to the title, including the Bryan brothers, the previous winners and dominating force of doubles tennis over the past decade.

To put it in perspective, Nielsen’s highest career ranking in singles is 190, and he had only qualified to the first round of one grand slam tournament before this year’s Wimbledon. Marray’s best singles ranking is even worse at 215. Going from that to winning Wimbledon is simply incomprehensible, according to Nielsen, who is also a massive Liverpool F.C. fan.

“This means I can walk around calling myself a Wimbledon champion, No one can take that away from me. I always believed we could win and when that smash went over the net I thought about 2005,” Nielsen told Ekstrabladet newspaper, referring to Liverpool’s unimaginable come-back win in the 2005 Champions League final.

And the euphoria was evident as Nielsen’s partner, Jonathan Marray, lifted him up in celebration after the un-seeded pair beat Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 in the final. But that wasn’t the only lift for Nielsen.

Aside from the glory and the 1.2 million kroner cheque that the Wimbledon winners will collect, Nielsen received some more good news following his win.

Despite being told last month that he would not be participating in the London 2012 Olympics this summer, Nielsen’s mesmerising Wimbledon journey has propelled him to the brink of becoming an Olympian after all.

The top Danish men’s player in now the first wildcard back-up for the men’s singles in London and a cancelation from one of the eight wildcard holders would qualify him. And it also means that he could team up with Caroline Wozniacki in the mixed doubles. According to the International Tennis Federation, his new doubles ranking may even be enough to qualify him directly.

Denmark may just have a new Olympic hope, but time is running out. The 2012 London Olympic Games begin on July 27.




  • Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    On February 14 and 15, the last terrorist attack took place in Denmark. Another episode occurred in 2022, but in that case, there was no political motive behind it

  • Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    We all know Christiania and have been there at least once. But how does the Freetown work? How are decisions made? Can a person move there? Is there rent or bills to pay? British journalist Dave Wood wrote a reportage on Christiania for The Copenhagen Post.

  • The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    Isha Thapa unfolds her research “An Analysis on the Inclusivity and Integration of South Asian Women in High-Skilled Jobs within the Danish Labor Market”. Thapa describes the systemic and social challenges these women face, ranging from barriers in social capital to cultural integration.

  • Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Most parents in Denmark reject using social media parental controls despite knowing about them. A new study questions the effectiveness of these tools in ensuring children’s online safety.

  • Analysis: we need a different education system for international children in Denmark

    Analysis: we need a different education system for international children in Denmark

    Data analyst Kelly Draper Rasmussen highlights that Denmark sees peaks in international migration during early childhood and high school years. However, with only one international education option, many families are forced to leave to secure different opportunities for their children.

  • Danish Refugee Council to lay off up to 2,000 staff

    Danish Refugee Council to lay off up to 2,000 staff

    After the anticipation from The Copenhagen Post, a press release by DRC has confirmed the plan to lay off thousands of employees in response to the recent halt of foreign aid spending by the Trump administration.