Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and former India cricket captain Virat Kohli paid tribute to Saina Nehwal after the former world No. 1 confirmed her retirement from professional badminton, bringing to an end a career that transformed the sport’s landscape in India.
Saina, who last competed at the BWF Singapore Open in 2023, formally acknowledged her retirement during a recent podcast, saying she had stepped away on her own terms and did not feel the need for an official announcement.
“Thank you for everything you’ve contributed to Indian badminton,” Sindhu wrote on X, wishing Saina peace and happiness in the next phase of her life. Kohli described her career as “legendary”, adding that she had put Indian badminton on the world stage and that the country was proud of her achievements.
Saina first announced herself on the global stage in 2008 by winning the junior world championship and became the first Indian woman to reach the Olympic quarter-finals in singles at the Beijing Games that year. A year later, she created history by winning the Indonesia Open, becoming India’s first BWF Super Series champion.
Her bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012 marked India’s first-ever Olympic medal in badminton, a moment widely seen as a turning point for the sport in the country. In 2015, she became world No. 1 in women’s singles, only the second Indian after Prakash Padukone to top the rankings, and reached the World Championships final the same year.
Recurring knee injuries, particularly after the Rio 2016 Olympics, disrupted the latter half of her career. However, Saina continued to compete at the highest level, winning bronze at the 2017 World Championships and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
A recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award, Saina revealed in 2024 that arthritis and complete cartilage wear in her knees had made it impossible to continue.
Her retirement closes a chapter that laid the foundation for India’s rise as a force in international badminton.
— IANS
