“Can’t push it anymore”: Sania Nehwal confirms retirement, closing a historic chapter in Indian Badminton era

India’s star shuttler Saina Nehwal confirmed her retirement from competitive badminton on Monday, revealing that a chronic knee condition had left her unable to cope with the physical demands of elite sport.

The 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist Sania Nehwal, officially brought the curtains down on her illustrious career, saying, “I can’t do it anymore.” With her retirement, a glorious chapter in Indian badminton comes to an end. Saina last appeared on the competitive circuit at the Singapore Open in 2023, though she chose not to formally announce her decision at the time.

Speaking during a podcast, Saina explained, “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.”

She further added, “If you are not capable of playing anymore, that’s it. It’s fine.”

The former World No. 1 said her decision was driven by knee degeneration that made sustained training impossible.

“I didn’t think it was such a big matter to announce my retirement. I just felt the time was up because I couldn’t push myself anymore. My knees were not able to take the load like before. You need to train eight to nine hours to be the best in the world, but my knee was giving up within one or two hours. It would swell, and it became very tough to continue after that. So I thought it was enough — I can’t push it anymore,” she said, highlighting the stark contrast with her peak years.

Saina’s career was significantly affected by a knee injury she sustained during the Rio 2016 Olympics. Despite the setback, she mounted a strong comeback, winning a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2017 and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. However, recurring knee issues persisted and gradually limited her ability to compete at the highest level.

“Slowly, people will also realise that Saina is not playing,” she added.