Olympic bronze medalist and badminton star Saina Nehwal has announced her separation from husband and fellow shuttler Parupalli Kashyap. The news was shared by Nehwal via her Instagram Story on Sunday, where she opened up about the personal decision.

“Life takes us in different directions sometimes. After much thought and consideration, Kashyap Parupalli and I have decided to part ways,” she wrote. “We’re choosing peace, growth, and healing — for ourselves and each other. I’m grateful for the memories and wish nothing but the best moving forward. Thank you for understanding and respecting our privacy during this time.”

Saina and Parupalli got married in 2018 after years of knowing each other through the sport. Both trained at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, forming a close bond as fellow athletes.

Saina Nehwal rose to national prominence with a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, becoming only the second Indian woman after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic medal. In 2015, she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the World No. 1 ranking in women’s singles.

Parupalli Kashyap also had a decorated career, winning gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and representing India at numerous international tournaments.

As of now, Parupalli has not issued any public statement regarding the separation.

Personal and Professional Struggles

In 2024, Saina opened up about her ongoing health battles, revealing that she is suffering from arthritis, which has affected her ability to train and compete at the highest level.

“The knee is not very good. I have arthritis. My cartilage has gone to a bad state. It is very difficult to push for eight-nine hours,” she shared during an episode of the House of Glory podcast, hosted by Olympic shooter Gagan Narang.

“How will you challenge the best players in the world in such a state? I think I will have to accept it somewhere. Because two hours of training is not good enough to play with the highest-level players and get the desired results.”

While the badminton world absorbs this personal news, fans and well-wishers have flooded social media with messages of support for both Saina and Kashyap.