♦ Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal has confirmed her retirement from competitive sport after being out of action for nearly two years due to a chronic knee condition. She is one of the greatest Indian badminton players to ever grace the court. 

♦ The London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist last played a competitive badminton match at the Singapore Open in 2023.

♦ The Hisar-born shuttler rose to prominence internationally in 2008 after becoming the junior world champion and became the first Indian woman to make the quarter-finals in singles badminton at the Olympics (Beijing 2008). 

♦ In 2009, she became the first Indian to win a BWF Super Series title by clinching the Indonesia Open and a year later, she became a Commonwealth Games champion.

♦ At London 2012, Saina became India’s first Olympic medallist in badminton, winning bronze in women’s singles after reaching the semi-finals.

♦ In 2015, she created more history by becoming the world No. 1 in singles badminton rankings, establishing herself as the first Indian woman to achieve the feat and only the second shuttler from the country after Prakash Padukone to reach the peak.

♦ She also became the first shuttler from the country to reach the final of the BWF World Championships the same year but settled for a silver after losing to Carolina Marin. 

♦ Saina has also won every major national award possible, including the Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award.