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Saina Nehwal retires from competitive badminton due to chronic knee injury
Lucknow, January 20, 2026: Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal has announced her retirement from competitive badminton. Saina, who has been battling a knee injury for the past few years, has finally taken this decision. She stated that her body is no longer cooperating and even practicing has become difficult.
Speaking on a podcast, Saina said, "I have arthritis, and my knee only holds up for one or two hours. After that, it swells up and becomes painful. To be successful in a sport like badminton, you need to practice for 8-9 hours every day, but I can't do that." Her last match was at the 2023 Singapore Open.
Saina Nehwal is the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. She won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She suffered an injury after the 2016 Rio Olympics, but made a comeback, winning a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
She had also reached the world number one ranking. Now, after her retirement, her contributions are being praised by the sports world. Saina's decision marks the end of an era in Indian badminton.
Lucknow, January 20, 2026: Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal has announced her retirement from competitive badminton. Saina, who has been battling a knee injury for the past few years, has finally taken this decision. She stated that her body is no longer cooperating and even practicing has become difficult.
Speaking on a podcast, Saina said, "I have arthritis, and my knee only holds up for one or two hours. After that, it swells up and becomes painful. To be successful in a sport like badminton, you need to practice for 8-9 hours every day, but I can't do that." Her last match was at the 2023 Singapore Open.
Saina Nehwal is the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. She won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She suffered an injury after the 2016 Rio Olympics, but made a comeback, winning a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
She had also reached the world number one ranking. Now, after her retirement, her contributions are being praised by the sports world. Saina's decision marks the end of an era in Indian badminton.
Speaking on a podcast, Saina said, "I have arthritis, and my knee only holds up for one or two hours. After that, it swells up and becomes painful. To be successful in a sport like badminton, you need to practice for 8-9 hours every day, but I can't do that." Her last match was at the 2023 Singapore Open.
Saina Nehwal is the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. She won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She suffered an injury after the 2016 Rio Olympics, but made a comeback, winning a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
She had also reached the world number one ranking. Now, after her retirement, her contributions are being praised by the sports world. Saina's decision marks the end of an era in Indian badminton.
