HS Prannoy rules himself out of 'upcoming tournaments'

HS Prannoy, India's highest-ranked men's singles player, has ruled himself out of upcoming competitions on Monday.

The 32-year-old shuttler cited Chikungunya and persistent body pain as the reasons for his decision.

"Life Update. Unfortunately, the battle with Chikungunya has taken a toll on my body, leaving me with persistent pains that make it impossible to compete at my best. After careful consideration with my team, I've decided to withdraw from some of the upcoming tournaments to focus on recovery. Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. I’ll be back stronger," Prannoy wrote on X.

Since the Paris Olympics, Prannoy gave the Japan Open Super 750 and Korea Open Super 500, starting Tuesday, a miss. And now, he is likely to miss the China Open Super 1000, scheduled for late September. 

Prannoy, the only seeded Indian singles player at the Paris Olympics, competed at the Paris Olympics after recovering from Chikungunya. But his campaign got over in the Round of 16 when he lost to Lakshya Sen in straight games.

He visibly struggled on the court as Lakshya tested his speed and energy level with swift twiddles. 

Earlier this year, Prannoy suffered from acid reflux, taking a toll on his body and form. Prannoy, who attained the career-best world ranking of 6 in August 2023, went down in the rankings and is now ranked 13th. 

Last year, Prannoy was in the form of his life.

He won his first BWF World Tour title at the Malaysia Masters Super 500. He also reached the semifinals at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 and finished runner-up at the Australia Open Super 500 following a gruelling 90-minute battle against Weng Hong Yang of China.

Prannoy also added his maiden BWF World Championships medal to his trophy cabinet. En route to winning the medal, Prannoy became one of the four players to beat Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the quarterfinals.

He would then clinch another bronze medal at the Asian Games, becoming the first Indian men's singles player to win a medal at the Asiad since 1982.

But since competing at the Asian Games with a heavily strapped back, Prannoy's form went downhill and health issues in the ongoing season made his recovery further complicated.