Carolina Marín Retires from Badminton Due to Injury at Age 32
Carolina Marin, one of the leading athletes in badminton and the 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist, has officially announced her retirement from professional badminton on Thursday. In her official statement shared on Instagram, she explained that her retirement was due to a
persistent knee injury. Marin has competed at the senior level in professional badminton for 15 years, and today marks the end of one of the sport’s most decorated careers. Her influence on badminton has been profound, with the 32‑year‑old Spanish athlete reshaping the way the game is played in Europe. She remains the only player from a non‑Asian country to have won an Olympic medal in women’s singles. Her achievements extend beyond that milestone, as she is also a three‑time world champion.
She was keen to take part in the European Championships in April in Huelva, but she didn’t want to risk further worsening her knee injury. Marin shared an emotional video on her Instagram account, officially confirming her retirement and withdrawal from the European Championships, where she had been granted a wild card entry.
“Today I want to be direct. My path in professional badminton has ended, and therefore I will not participate in the European Championships of Huelva.” Carolina Marín Said.
Despite having made a short‑term recovery, she continues to experience the aftereffects of the serious knee injury she suffered at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her body has never been kind to her career because the injuries kept coming, seriously affecting her performance on the court. She sustained her first major injury in 2019, and in May 2021, just two months before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, she tore the cruciate ligament and meniscus in her left knee. Three years later, at the Paris 2024 Games, she suffered a third rupture, one she has yet to overcome. Marín added that she had wanted them to see her one last time on court, but she did not want to put her body at risk for that. She stated that she had said it many times and stood by her decision, acknowledging that she had wanted her career to end differently, but that things do not always happen as desired and must be accepted.
“In The End, I Did Retire On A Track In Paris In 2024; Only Then We Did Not Know,” Says The Three-Time World Champion.
Marin has not competed in any professional matches since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she tore the ACL in her right knee. She almost won the match until she collapsed in agony on the badminton court. Despite trying a knee brace, she was forced to forfeit and was not fit to play the bronze medal match. In her retirement video posted on Thursday, she said that she had actually gone out while on the court in Paris in 2024, but added that people had not known it at the time.
The former World No. 1 said that she had always wanted to end her journey in her hometown of Huelva and that it would happen, though not with a racket in her hand, at the place where it had all begun and where she was born. She added that she wanted to be there with her supporters, to give back even a fraction of the energy they had given her over the years, and to share one final unforgettable moment together.
Marín concluded her farewell announcement by saying that she was leaving her passion with great pride in everything she had achieved, adding that beyond the titles, she valued having earned the respect of the sporting world both on and off the court and having helped ensure that badminton was recognized, followed, and played in her country.
