Indian badminton legend Saina Nehwal has officially confirmed her retirement from competitive badminton, revealing that she stopped playing two years ago due to persistent knee problems and has now accepted that she can no longer compete at the elite level. The Olympic bronze medallist shared her decision during a candid appearance on a podcast, saying she had entered and exited the sport “on her own terms” and that her body could simply not keep up with the demands of top-tier competition anymore.
A decorated career comes to a close
Saina Nehwal, 35, is one of India’s most successful badminton players, renowned for elevating the profile of the sport in the country. She became a former world No. 1, won 24 international titles including 10 Superseries trophies, and achieved several historic milestones for Indian badminton. Saina is the only Indian to have won medals at every major individual BWF event, including the Olympics, the World Championships and the World Junior Championships. She also became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal when she claimed bronze at London 2012 and won Commonwealth Games gold medals in both 2010 and 2018.
Why she stepped away
Nehwal has not competed since the Singapore Open in 2023, and in her podcast appearance, she explained that chronic degeneration of her knee cartilage and resulting arthritis severely limited her ability to train at the intensity required for professional 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,” she said, noting that the swelling and pain made it increasingly difficult to push her body as needed.
She emphasised that her decision did not require a formal announcement at the time, since her absence from competitive play had already signalled her status to fans and peers: “If you are not capable of playing anymore, that’s it. It’s fine.”
Legacy and impact
Throughout her career, Saina was credited with transforming badminton’s popularity in India, inspiring a generation of players and elevating the nation’s standing in international competition. Her fearless style, mental toughness and trailblazing achievements, from reaching world No. 1 to winning India’s first Olympic badminton medal, have left an enduring legacy.
Despite the physical struggles that eventually curtailed her on-court career, Saina’s influence on Indian sport will continue to be felt, and her retirement marks the end of one of the most illustrious chapters in Indian badminton history.
