Trailblazer Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, who has been sidelined for the past two years owing to a severe knee injury, has officially announced her retirement from competitive badminton, citing her body’s inability to handle the physical demands of the sport.
The bronze medallist from the 2012 London Olympics last participated in a competitive match at the Singapore Open in 2023, but she did not formally declare her retirement at that time.
“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. If you are not capable of playing anymore, that’s it. It’s fine,” a PTI report quoted Saina as saying on a podcast.
The former world No. 1 claimed that her significant knee deterioration, which prevented her from engaging in prolonged high-intensity training, compelled her to make the decision.
“Your cartilage has totally degenerated, you have arthritis, that’s what my parents needed to know that, my coaches needed to know that, and I just told them, ‘Now probably I can’t do it anymore, it is difficult’,” she said.
Saina reaffirmed that she didn’t think a formal retirement announcement was necessary because she thought it would be obvious if she didn’t compete.
“Slowly people will also realise that Saina is not playing,” she said.
The Olympic medallist finalized a choice she described as inevitable by explaining that her knees could no longer withstand even brief training sessions.
“I didn’t think it was such a big matter to announce my retirement. I just felt my time was up because I couldn’t push much, that my knee is not able to push like before,” she said.
“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’s enough. I can’t push it anymore,” she added.
A potentially fatal knee injury that Saina suffered during the Rio 2016 Olympics had a major effect on her career. Her growth was hampered by recurrent knee problems, despite her impressive recovery to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and bronze at the World Championships in 2017.
Saina disclosed in 2024 that she has arthritis in her knees and that her cartilage has deteriorated, making it very challenging for her to exercise at the level of intensity needed for elite competition.
