PV Sindhu posts glowing tribute to her greatest opponent Carolina Marin, who has retired

India’s ace badminton player P V Sindhu has posted a glowing tribute to her fiercest opponent, Carolina Marin, who announced her retirement at 32.

“Some rivals become part of your journey forever. Carolina was one of them,” Sindhu posted in her social media channels. “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.”

Sindhu and Marin were not the best of friends on court, at least they did not appear friendly during their battles. Marin famously beat Sindhu in the Rio Olympics final and in the 2018 World Championships title match.

Marin announced on Thursday that she was forced to call it a day due to a knee injury that has troubled her for some time. Marin had planned to return to compete in the European Championships at her birthplace, Huelva, next month. "I'd have liked for us to see each other one last time on court, but I don't want to put my body at risk for that," Marin said in a video message.

Sindhu shared a handful of photographs with Marin, none of which seemed to show any animosity between the two. Whatever fights they had were professional and remained on the court. “To be honest, you were also a complete pain on court,” Sindhu posted.

“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.,” Sindhu posted.

The two forged a rivalry that excited badminton fans. Though Marin held the edge with a superior head-to-head record (12-6), Sindhu also had her moments. “I’ll also always be grateful for the incredible camaraderie our generation built. Our batch of girls made women’s singles such a special place to compete in, and I honestly don’t know if badminton has seen something like it before or will again. Thank you for every battle, every lesson and most of all the friendship. I wish you the happiest retirement, Carolina. Badminton will miss you. And so will I.”