Saina Nehwal announces separation from Parupalli Kashyap after nearly 7 years of marriage

Indian badminton stars Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap have decided to part ways after nearly seven years of marriage. The announcement was made by Saina through an Instagram story. “Life takes us in different directions sometimes,” she wrote. “After much thought and consideration, Kashyap Parupalli and I have decided to part ways. 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 Kashyap were married in December 2018 after a long-standing relationship that began during their training years at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad. Both players rose to prominence in Indian badminton and were seen as one of the sport’s most iconic couples. Saina achieved the World No. 1 ranking and won a bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012, while Kashyap reached a career-best World No. 6 and won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Kashyap retired from competitive badminton in 2024 and took on the role of coach and mentor in Saina’s later career. He regularly accompanied her during tournaments, provided tactical guidance, and supported her comeback efforts following injuries. Notably, he was her coach during the 2019 National Championships, where Saina defeated PV Sindhu in the final. The two continued to work together professionally even after Kashyap stopped competing.

Saina last appeared on the professional badminton circuit in June 2023. She has not yet announced her retirement from the sport. Meanwhile, Kashyap has not issued any public statement about the separation. Hours before Saina’s post, he shared an Instagram story from the Awakenings Festival in the Netherlands, held between July 11 and 13, where he appeared with friends and captioned the image “Bestest.”

The couple’s journey spanned over a decade, from training partners to international competitors and finally, to a coach-player partnership. Their marriage in 2018 followed years of companionship built during their formative years as professional athletes.