"Had to leave because of my knee" – Saina Nehwal on walking away from badminton

Indian badminton legend and the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal confirmed her retirement from the sport.

Nehwal, who was the first Indian to be ranked world No 1 in badminton singles, was last seen in action at the Singapore Open Super 750 back in June 2023.

The 35-year-old Nehwal asserted that she had to walk away from the sport due to arthritis and that she continues to miss being in thick of the action. 

"You want to be in that pressure, stress moment always because you have played matches throughout your career. You have been in the sport for 23 years. You want to be in that zone always," she had told The Bridge in November last year.

"But you know that your body is not going to take it anymore. I got arthritis, cartilage degenerated completely, and the doctor told me, "You are not a machine, you are a human being". So there came a point where I had to leave the sport because of my knee," she added.

"The first year was difficult because you want to get up in the morning, go for training, and suddenly you are resting.

"But slowly you get used to it. You see other players retire and realise you can't keep playing always."

Nehwal also opened up on how she dealt with the idea of not being on court, playing actively.

"You have to keep yourself busy because life has been busy for so many years," she said.

"I want to promote the game, inspire young kids and eventually take up coaching later. But at the moment I am relaxed. But it’s not easy to forget those matches. So it’s very important to keep yourself busy with workouts, mental health, meditation, and yoga."