Jonas Vingegaard is one of the biggest Danish sports stars of his generation: he has won 4 Grand Tours, including the Tour de France 2 times, and in 2026 he became the first Dane to win all three. This page is a short, fact-based overview of three other Danish sports stars from football and tennis – Christian Eriksen, Clara Tauson and Holger Rune – with their key results and where they stand as of 25 October 2026. For Vingegaard's own path to the top, see our overview of Jonas Vingegaard's career.
Christian Eriksen – Denmark's most-capped footballer
Christian Dannemann Eriksen was born on 14 February 1992 in Middelfart. He moved from OB to Ajax in 2008 and won three Dutch titles in a row from 2010-11 to 2012-13. At Tottenham Hotspur, from 2013, he scored 69 goals in 305 games and started the 2019 Champions League final, which Tottenham lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
He went on to win Serie A with Inter in 2020-21 and the FA Cup with Manchester United in 2023-24. On 12 June 2021 he suffered a cardiac arrest just before half-time in Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland at Parken and was resuscitated on the pitch. He was fitted with an ICD, a small implanted defibrillator, and returned with Brentford in February 2022 and for Denmark a month later.
For Denmark he has 151 caps and 46 goals – a record for a Danish men's player – and his six major tournaments are more than any other Dane.
As of 25 October 2026, Eriksen is without a club. He has not played since 7 June 2026, when he collapsed in Denmark's friendly against Ukraine in Odense and his ICD delivered a shock. On 23 September 2026 he and VfL Wolfsburg agreed to end his contract, which ran to 30 June 2027, because he wanted to be close to his family in Denmark. He has not announced his retirement and was not in the September national squad.
Clara Tauson – from junior world No. 1 to the WTA top 15
Clara Tauson was born on 21 December 2002 in Gentofte and grew up north of Copenhagen. At 13, in August 2016, she became the youngest ever Danish women's champion – younger than Caroline Wozniacki had been. In January 2019 she won the Australian Open girls' singles, the first Danish girl to do so, and became junior world No. 1.
She won her first WTA title in Lyon on 7 March 2021, aged 18, and added Luxembourg the same year. Her big step towards the top came in 2025: the Auckland title in January, the final of the WTA 1000 event in Dubai in February – beating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on the way – the fourth round at Wimbledon and the semi-finals in Montreal. On 8 September 2025 she reached her career-high ranking of No. 12.
2026 has been a difficult year. She has struggled with her back and revealed in May that she has two herniated discs. On 12 October she retired in Wuhan with a calf injury, and two days later she ended her season. As of 25 October 2026 she is No. 54 in the WTA rankings. She is coached by Kasper Elsvad.
Holger Rune – the highest-ranked Danish man ever
Holger Vitus Nødskov Rune was born on 29 April 2003 in Gentofte and grew up in Charlottenlund. He has trained at the Mouratoglou Academy in the south of France since 2016. In 2019 he won the French Open boys' title and became junior world No. 1.
His breakthrough came in 2022. He reached the French Open quarter-finals – the first Danish man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in the Open Era – and in November won the Paris Masters, beating Novak Djokovic in the final after five wins over top-10 players, a first at any event outside the ATP Finals. On 21 August 2023 he rose to No. 4 in the ATP rankings, the highest ever for a Danish man. He has won five ATP titles, most recently the Barcelona Open in April 2025 with a final win over Carlos Alcaraz.
On 18 October 2025 he ruptured his left Achilles tendon in the Stockholm semi-final. He missed all four Grand Slams in 2026 and returned after 335 days, winning both his singles against Bulgaria in the Davis Cup in Hillerød on 18 and 19 September. As of 25 October 2026 he is No. 1205 in the ATP rankings (list of 19 October) because his 2025 points have dropped off, but he can enter events on a protected ranking and is on the entry list for the Paris Masters, which starts on 31 October.
What the Danish stars have in common
Tauson and Rune have known each other since childhood in North Zealand. In 2014 they won the Danish U12 mixed doubles title together, in 2019 each won a junior Grand Slam, and in 2023 they teamed up for Denmark at the Hopman Cup.
2022 was a special year for two of the four. In July Vingegaard won his first Tour de France and was celebrated at the Copenhagen City Hall celebration; in November Rune won the Paris Masters. In 2026, by contrast, all four have had their seasons interrupted: Vingegaard crashed on stage 15 of the Tour and broke his collarbone, Eriksen has not played since June, Tauson has ended her season early and Rune has only just returned from his Achilles injury.
Jonas Vingegaard is 29 – more on our page about Jonas Vingegaard's age.
Danish sports stars in numbers
| Name | Sport | Born | Biggest achievement | Status as of 25 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Vingegaard | Cycling | 10 December 1996 | Winner of the Tour de France (2022, 2023), Vuelta a España (2025) and Giro d'Italia (2026) | Visma | Lease a Bike, contract to the end of 2028; no more races in 2026 after his Tour crash |
| Christian Eriksen | Football | 14 February 1992 | 151 caps – a record for Danish men | Without a club since 23 September 2026; has not played since 7 June 2026 |
| Clara Tauson | Tennis | 21 December 2002 | WTA 1000 final in Dubai 2025; world No. 12 (8 September 2025) | WTA No. 54; 2026 season over |
| Holger Rune | Tennis | 29 April 2003 | Paris Masters champion 2022; world No. 4 (21 August 2023) | ATP No. 1205 (19 October 2026) after his Achilles injury; playing on a protected ranking |
Danish sports stars: questions and answers
Who are the biggest Danish sports stars right now?
There is no official list, but among the best-known Danish athletes on the international stage are cyclist Jonas Vingegaard, footballer Christian Eriksen and tennis players Clara Tauson and Holger Rune. Vingegaard has won all three Grand Tours, Eriksen is the most-capped player for the Danish men's team, Rune has been world No. 4 and Tauson world No. 12.
Which Danish tennis players are in the world's top ranks?
The two Danes who have come closest to the top in recent years are Holger Rune and Clara Tauson. Rune reached No. 4 in the ATP rankings on 21 August 2023 and Tauson No. 12 in the WTA rankings on 8 September 2025. As of 25 October 2026 Tauson is No. 54, while Rune is No. 1205 after a year out with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
How many caps does Christian Eriksen have?
Christian Eriksen has 151 caps and 46 goals for Denmark, a record for a Danish men's player. His most recent appearance was against Ukraine in Odense on 7 June 2026.
Is Christian Eriksen still playing football?
As of 25 October 2026 Christian Eriksen is without a club, after he and VfL Wolfsburg ended his contract by mutual consent on 23 September 2026. He has not played since 7 June 2026, but he has not announced his retirement either.
When were Christian Eriksen, Clara Tauson and Holger Rune born?
Christian Eriksen was born on 14 February 1992 in Middelfart, Clara Tauson on 21 December 2002 in Gentofte and Holger Rune on 29 April 2003 in Gentofte. For comparison, Jonas Vingegaard was born on 10 December 1996 in Hillerslev in Thy and is 29.