Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal has announced her retirement from competitive badminton at the age of 35, saying her long battle with a knee injury has made it impossible for her to continue at the top level. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist confirmed that a chronic knee condition has taken away her ability to handle the physical demands of elite sport. Her last competitive appearance was at the Singapore Open in 2023, although she chose not to make a formal announcement at that time.
Saina Nehwal explained on a podcast that she had actually stopped playing two years ago and felt no need to publicly declare her retirement. She said she entered the sport on her own terms and wanted to leave it the same way. According to her, when a player is no longer capable of playing, it is simply time to stop. She added that over time, people would naturally realize that she was no longer competing.
The former world number one revealed that her decision was driven by severe knee degeneration. She said her cartilage had completely worn down and she was suffering from arthritis, which made sustained training impossible. She shared that she informed her parents and coaches about her condition and told them that she could not push herself anymore, as it had become too difficult.
Saina Nehwal spoke about how different things were compared to her peak years. Earlier, she could train for eight to nine hours a day to be the best in the world. Now, her knee would start giving up after just one or two hours, with swelling making it very hard to continue. This constant physical limitation convinced her that it was time to step away.
Her career was heavily affected by a knee injury she suffered during the Rio 2016 Olympics. Although she made a strong comeback by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2017 and gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, the knee problems kept returning. In 2024, she revealed that she was dealing with arthritis and worn cartilage in her knees, which ultimately brought her playing career to an end.
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