What's next for Saina Nehwal - Hear from the experts!

Saina Nehwal has the distinction of being the only Indian shuttler to remain in the top 10 of the world rankings for more than a decade. After her breakout year in 2008, when she first made the elite top 10, she made rapid strides towards topping the charts in 2009, climbing to second spot.

Though, it took her six more years to finally become numero uno, all throughout she held on to her top 10 spot -- up until late 2019.

In December 2019 Saina Nehwal slipped out of the top 10 for the first time. This was followed by a flurry of quick tournament exits, which saw her ranking slip further to 19, the lowest in more than 13 years. To make matters worse for the Indian badminton queen, Saina Nehwal also failed to book her place in the Tokyo Olympics.

Has the Saina Nehwal era ended?

Bearing all these issues in mind and the fact that she is now 31 years old, critics are predicting that the Saina era is coming to an end.

There are many who feel the 31-year-old’s days in the elite circle are behind her. However, some former coaches and players that Sportskeeda spoke to refused to rule out a Saina Nehwal comeback.

Former national player and coach Utsav Mishra conceded that Saina Nehwal is going through a lean patch, before adding that she will definitely bounce back. Mishra believes Nehwal has it in her to prolong her career in an effective way.

Utsav Mishra assisted Saina Nehwal when she moved out of the Hyderabad-based Pullela Gopichand Academy and joined hands with Vimal Kumar in Bengaluru between 2014 and 2017. Saina Nehwal has trained with Utsav Mishra for many years and is confident that Saina will start performing again the BWF international tournaments resume after the Tokyo Olympics.

“Working with Saina Nehwal on court for more than 6 years, I would say Saina as a player has changed the scenario of badminton in India. She is a true fighter and a warrior.

Mishra, who coaches the Air India team, believes that Saina can silence her critics.

Sidelining all the doubts created by critics, she definitely can and will surely reach the epitome where she belongs in the world of badminton. If she develops certain things, then the journey to the top will be more comfortable and easier,” said Utsav Mishra, an Air India coach.

Saina Nehwal should develop special skills to prolong her career: Utsav Mishra

Mishra said Saina would have to remain injury-free and put less strain on her body to prolong her career. Mishra believes that at her age, Saina might no longer be comfortable playing long rallies. Hence, the Indian badminton ace has to develop some special strokes and skills to surprise opponents.

According to Utsav Mishra:

“Strategic tactical strokes like deception and skillful winners will have to be developed by her to end rallies early. These new techniques will make her win points better and at times with lesser efforts. As we all know, she has fantastic movements on the courts. With great endurance and a 'not to leave shuttle’ attitude on the court make her a special player,” said Utsav Mishra.

Former national champion Trupti Murgunde has known Saina since her sub-junior days, having played with and against her on many occasions. Trupti said age should not be a barrier for Saina and she can certainly give it a shot at the next Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

“It is wrong to say that Saina’s career is over because she is 31. She can definitely play for two more years. She is a gutsy player and never gives up. No one can decide about when she should hang her boots. She knows best when to retire and we should leave that decision to her."

Trupti Murgunde feels Saina can target the Commonwealth Games next year to make her comeback to elite level badminton.

"I think after missing the Tokyo Olympics, she must be aiming for the next year’s two big events – Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. If she stays fit, she can even win a medal in the Commonwealth Games,” said Trupti Murgunde.

Trupti termed Saina as the torchbearer of Indian badminton for more than a decade. Before PV Sindhu’s arrival on the scene, Saina was the only Indian shuttler competing against the best at the highest level.

“Saina has played well consistently for more than a decade. Injuries over the last few years have definitely hampered her performance. Every time she got injured she used to miss vital tournaments because of rehab and recovery."

Murgunde also feels that age will not be the deciding factor.

"We have seen many players performing brilliantly since the age of 30. Age should never be the criteria. With new technologies and improved facilities, any player can extend the career,” said Trupti Murgunde.

Trupti’s views were echoed by Arundhati Pantawane. The former National Games champion and India No.1 has been Saina’s contemporary since their under-16 days

“I think she still has a lot of badminton left in her. I know it’s tough at 31 and as far as I know she is a spirited one. Age is just a number for her. She is managing her training very well with respect to her body needs and that’s the only thing needed at this level,” said Arundhati Pantawane, a former India No. 1 shuttler.

Arundhati Pantawane, one of the singles coaches at the Pullela Gopichand Academy, believes that with experience on her side, she is poised for another successful season next year.

“At this level and at this age how you manage your body and how you stay out of injuries is all that is needed. She has experience and that will be a positive for her in the future. That’s what I think.”

Former Indian coach Edwin Iriawan, who was part of the Indian coaching team when Saina Nehwal won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, said Saina will have to be absolutely focused and maintain excellent fitness levels to prolong her career by another two years.

Badminton - Commonwealth Games Day 11

Edwin Iriawan, who is now chief coach at the Assam Badminton Association Academy in Guwahati, said:

“If Saina Nehwal can still focus as she used to do all her career then she can try to extend her career by one or two years. She will have to get good quality practice from her coach. Saina will also have to manage her fitness quite carefully. Staying fit and focused are key areas for her to prolong her career by a couple of years.”

Former Indian chief coach Vimal Kumar also feels that Saina could prolong her career if she plays a limited number of tournaments.

“Saina will have to be a little choosy when she chalks out plans for the next season. She is not getting any younger. She cannot play every tournament now. Her husband Parupalli Kashyap has been a coach now for the last couple of years. They should both sit down and discuss in detail the future course of action. I think she can stay on the circuit and perform well if she stays injury-free,” said Vimal Kumar.

Saina Nehwal may be down, but is certainly not out. Her return to the top echelons will depend on how she reinvents herself, to cope with the rough and tumble of a game she has dominated for so long. Let’s wish her the very best.