Two weeks after announcing their separation on Instagram, Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal on Saturday said that she and fellow shuttler-turned-coach Kashyap Parupalli are giving their relationship another chance. “Sometimes distance teaches you the value of presence. Here we are—trying again,” Saina wrote in an Instagram post. The post was accompanied by a picture of the couple together.
The couple, who trained under Pullela Gopichand at the famed Hyderabad academy and married in December 2018, were considered Indian badminton’s power duo. While Saina has not officially retired, Kashyap, now 38, has moved into coaching and works closely with India’s singles players, including Guru Sai Dutt.
Separation announcement
Just a fortnight earlier, Saina had stunned fans with a public announcement of their decision to part ways, calling it a choice made in pursuit of “peace, growth and healing”. Her statement, shared on July 14, read, “Life takes us in different directions sometimes. 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 am grateful for the memories and wish nothing but the best moving forward. Thank you for understanding and respecting our privacy during this time.”
Badminton powerhouses
Kashyap, a former world top-10 player, clinched the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold and made history by becoming the first Indian male shuttler to reach the quarterfinals at the 2012 London Olympics. Saina, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of India’s greatest athletes, with a career of firsts, including being the first Indian woman to achieve world No. 1 ranking and the first to win an Olympic badminton medal, a bronze at London 2012.
Sidelined by injuries in recent years, Saina last played competitively at the 2023 Singapore Open.