There, it is. The numero uno. A place where no Indian woman had set foot on. One name. One spot, the number one. The name is Saina. Saina Nehwal. And she is number one. In the world. Yes.Â
Surprisngly, Saina didn’t have to win a match to get there. As Spanish player Carolina Marin lost to Ratchanok Intanon, Saina clinched the number one spot.Â
This win means sweet revenge for Saina too, as she’d just lost the All England Open finals in Birmingham to Marin. Therefore, it’s a classic case of double dose. She is the first Indian woman badminton player to attain the feat, Prakash Padukone being the only Indian man to do so.Â
The 25-year-old toppled China’s Li Xuerui and become the highest ranked player in the world. â€I want to be the best. It’s not about the ranking, it’s about being consistent. Li Xuerui is injured. You can’t ignore the fact that she’s the best player in the world,†she said. Saina has also reached the semis of the ongoing India Open Superseries.
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