‘Can’t push it anymore’: Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal announces retirement from badminton

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, January 20, 2026: Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal has announced her retirement from competitive badminton, stating that her body can no longer cope with the physical demands of the sport due to a chronic knee condition.

The former World No. 1 has been out of action for the past two years and last competed at the top level at the Singapore Open in 2023. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist made the announcement during a podcast.

“I had stopped playing two years back. I felt I entered the sport on my own terms and left on my own terms, so there was no need to announce it,” Saina said. “If you are not capable of playing anymore, that’s it. It’s fine.”

She explained that severe degeneration of her knee made sustained high-intensity training impossible. “My cartilage has totally degenerated and I have arthritis. I told my parents and coaches that now I probably can’t do it anymore,” she said.

Saina added that her absence from tournaments itself would make her decision clear. “Slowly people will realise that Saina is not playing,” she remarked.

Elaborating on her condition, she said even limited training sessions had become difficult. “Earlier, 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 would swell and become very tough to continue. I felt it was enough. I can’t push it anymore,” she said.

Saina sustained a career-threatening knee injury at the 2016 Rio Olympics but made a remarkable comeback, winning bronze at the 2017 World Championships and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. However, recurring knee issues continued to hamper her career.

In 2024, she revealed that she had developed arthritis and significant cartilage damage in her knees, making it extremely difficult to train at the intensity required for elite-level competition.