New Delhi, Jan 20 (UNI) Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal, one of India’s most accomplished badminton players, has confirmed her retirement from competitive sport after being sidelined for nearly two years due to a chronic knee condition.
The London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist last played a competitive match at the Singapore Open in 2023, but formally announced her decision on Monday during a podcast hosted by Subhojit Ghosh.
Saina said she had already stepped away from the sport some time ago and did not feel the need to make an immediate public announcement.
“I had stopped playing two years back. I actually felt that I entered the sport on my own terms and left on my own terms, so there was no need to announce it,” Saina said.
The former world No. 1 revealed that the decision was forced by severe degeneration of cartilage in her knees, which made sustained high-intensity training impossible.
“Your cartilage has totally degenerated, and you have arthritis. I just told them, ‘Now probably I can’t do it anymore, it is difficult,’” she said, referring to conversations with her parents and coaches.
Saina explained that her body could no longer cope with the physical demands of elite badminton. “You train eight to nine hours to be the best in the world. Now my knee was giving up in one or two hours. It was swelling, and it became very tough to push after that. So I thought it was enough. I can’t push it anymore,” she added.
Saina Nehwal is widely regarded as a trailblazer for Indian badminton. She rose to prominence by winning the women’s singles bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics, becoming the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal.
Over her career, she won 24 international titles, including multiple Super Series crowns, and became the first Indian woman to attain the world No. 1 ranking in 2015.
Saina also played a key role in India’s Uber Cup victory in 2014 and claimed medals at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Championships.
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