India, Jan. 20 -- After a prolonged battle with a chronic knee condition that denied her the chance of another comeback, Saina Nehwal finally made peace with the inevitable and hung up her racquet. Avoiding the conventional route of a social media announcement, the 35-year-old revealed her decision on a podcast, explaining that severe degeneration in her knee had made sustained high-intensity training impossible. Her last competitive appearance came at the Singapore Open in 2023.

Yet, Saina's story is far bigger than how it ended. Across a 21-year career, she fought battles that went well beyond injuries - reshaping Indian badminton, breaking long-standing barriers, winning historic medals, and inspiring a generation.

Saina's battle aga...