‘My Time Was Up’: Olympic Medalists Saina Nehwal Announces Retirement From Badminton
India’s Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal has confirmed her retirement from professional badminton, stating that severe knee degeneration has made it impossible for her to continue competing at the highest level.
The former World No. 1, who has been absent from international competition for the past two years, last appeared at the Singapore Open in 2023 before chronic knee problems forced her away from the court. Nehwal made her retirement public during a podcast appearance, though she revealed she had effectively stopped playing two years earlier.
“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,” Nehwal said, explaining her decision not to make a formal declaration earlier.
The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist disclosed that complete cartilage degeneration and arthritis in her knees had made sustained high-intensity training physically impossible, leaving her with no viable option to continue her career.
“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 explained.
Also Read: Mary Kom’s Ex-Husband Levels Explosive Affair Allegations in Bitter Divorce Fallout
Nehwal emphasized the stark contrast between the physical demands of elite badminton and what her body could now endure. While world-class athletes typically train eight to nine hours daily, her knee could barely withstand one or two hours of activity before swelling and forcing her to stop.
“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 stated.
The badminton star said she did not consider a formal retirement announcement necessary, believing her prolonged absence from tournaments would naturally signal the end of her competitive career. “Slowly people will also realise that Saina is not playing,” she remarked.
Nehwal’s knee troubles began during the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she suffered a career-threatening injury. Despite the setback, she mounted an impressive comeback, securing bronze at the 2017 World Championships and claiming gold for India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
However, persistent knee problems continued to hamper her progress in subsequent years, preventing her from maintaining consistency at the international level. In 2024, she publicly revealed the full extent of her condition, disclosing that arthritis had destroyed the cartilage in her knees and rendered the training intensity required for top-tier competition unattainable.
Nehwal’s retirement closes a distinguished chapter in Indian badminton, with the Hyderabad-born shuttler having achieved numerous milestones including becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in badminton and reaching the World No. 1 ranking.