PV Sindhu paid tribute to Carolina Marin after the Spanish shuttler announced her retirement. Sindhu took to social media on Friday, writing a heartfelt message for Marin, with whom she also had a controversial on-court altercation. A former world No. 1, Marin shared one of modern badminton’s most intense rivalries with Sindhu, and the pair produced several thrillers.
She famously defeated Sindhu in the final of the Rio 2016 Olympics and again in the summit clash of the 2018 World Championships.
‘Some rivals become part of your journey forever’
Taking to X, she wrote, “Some rivals become part of your journey forever. Carolina was one of them. We first played each other when we were 15 or 16 year old girls in the Maldives, and from then on we went on to share so many battles.”
“To be honest, you were also a complete pain on court. The constant shouting, the intensity, the little tricks, they would get to anyone. But your skill, speed and fighting spirit were second to none. People remember the big matches and even the ugly spat we had in that third set over picking the shuttle. I’ll admit I was completely infuriated that day.
“But a few months later we sat across from each other over coffee in Madrid, talking and laughing, and in that moment there was nothing but respect. That’s the Carolina I’ll always remember”, she added.
Marin retired with an illustrious record, having won world titles in 2014, 2015 and 2018, seven European crowns and the Olympic gold at Rio 2016. Her last competitive appearance came at the 2024 Olympics, returning after overcoming two anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2019 and 2021.
