(Image source from: Instagram.com/parupallikashyap)

A well-known badminton player who won a bronze medal in the Olympics, Saina Nehwal, said that she and her husband, Parupalli Kashyap, who used to play badminton as well, have chosen to end their marriage. Saina told everyone about it in a message on Instagram late on Sunday. The two of them got married on December 14, 2018. "Sometimes we find ourselves going in different directions in life. After thinking about it carefully, Kashyap Parupalli and I have decided to separate. We are both working on finding peace, improving ourselves, and recovering—both for ourselves and for each other," Saina said in her message. "I will always remember the good times we had together and hope for the best for both of us in the future. Thank you for understanding our need for privacy at this time," she added.

Saina and Kashyap practiced badminton together from when they were young at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad. While Saina became famous around the world by winning an Olympic bronze medal and becoming the best player in the world, Kashyap became one of the top ten players in the world and won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. After he stopped playing badminton in early 2024, Kashyap started training other players. Saina, who many people think is one of the best badminton players ever, suggested she might retire at the end of last year. She has not played since she lost early in the Singapore Open in June 2023. The 35-year-old talked about her problems with arthritis on the House of Glory podcast with Gagan Narang late last year. "I am also considering it," she said about retiring and mentioned she would think about how she feels about retiring by the end of 2025.

Saina is the first badminton player from India to win a medal at the Olympics, earning a bronze medal at the London 2012 games. She was also the first person from India to get to the final match of the badminton World Championships and the first to win the BWF World Junior Championships. People often say that Saina’s accomplishments are a big reason why India has become a strong country in badminton over the past ten years.