India’s two most celebrated women’s badminton stars may belong to different eras, but Saina Nehwal believes the qualities that made both her and PV Sindhu successful remain strikingly similar – aggression, resilience, and the refusal to back down.
Saina is a 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, and she went on to become the World No. 1 in 2015. In her illustrious career, she won 10 Super Series titles, making her one of the most successful players on the BWF circuit, which was later succeeded by the BWF World Tour.
Saina became the first Indian player to break into a territory where no Indian women’s player had ever managed to enter before. She also won two World Championships medals and two Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Sindhu, who succeeded Saina and carried forward the baton of Indian badminton in women’s singles, went on to win Olympic silver and bronze medals in 2016 and 2021 respectively. She also won five World Championships medals, including a gold. On the BWF World Tour, she won five titles.
Reflecting on Sindhu’s game and longevity at the highest level, Saina pointed to the attacking brand of badminton both players built their careers around. At the same time, Saina acknowledged that Sindhu’s physical attributes give her an additional edge on court.
“Both Sindhu and I possess a strong attacking game. Her plus point is her height, she has a quick reach. Luckily, she has maintained a good body…I just hope that she continues to perform as she did before,” Nehwal told reporters at an event in Panchkula, Haryana.
Saina also highlighted how crucial mindset has been in shaping their careers, saying their determination often separated them from the rest.
“Furthermore, next year the ranking points are changing. It is 15×3; it will certainly benefit players. The quality that truly helped both Sindhu and me was our ‘never-give-up’ attitude; our rallying and smashing skills were very good,” she added.
Sindhu, who won the Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, was last seen in action at the Thailand Open, where her campaign ended in the quarterfinals after a defeat to Akane Yamaguchi.
Following the tournament, Sindhu pulled out of the Malaysia Masters – a competition that holds happy memories for the Indian star, who won the title in 2013 and 2016.