PETALING JAYA: Down but not out.
Spanish women’s singles star Carolina Marin is not giving up on her badminton career just yet.
Marin’s playing time looked over after she suffered her third anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics against China’s He Bingjiao in August.
The 31-year-old though is not throwing in the towel and is motivated to come back again in time for the 2026 European Championships, which will be held in her home country.
Marin previously came back from ACL injuries in 2019 and 2021 and another return to the court will be truly remarkable.
“When I broke my knee for the third time, I was convinced I was going to retire. But after a lot of reflection, I realised it would upset me if I was forced to retire through injury,” said Marin in an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“I don’t want it (the Euros) to be an obsession but it’s a big target on the horizon. I’d be excited to compete there, in my home (country) and with all my friends.”
Marin though said that she will not rush her comeback.
“There’s no rush but it’s been non-stop rehab. It’s important to build up the muscles first,” Marin said.
“I go step by step; I would love to retire on the court but I’m not in a rush.”
Marin boasts a great record of titles, having famously captured the gold in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and three world crowns in 2014, 2015 and 2018.
The Spaniard has also won the European Championships seven times consecutively since 2014.
In the World Tour and SuperSeries events, Marin has stood on the highest podium 16 times including twice in the prestigious All-England in 2015 and in March this year.
