Saina Nehwal (born March 17, 1990 in Hisar, Haryana, India) is an Indian badminton player. Saina is the first Indian woman to reach the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics and the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships. Saina Nehwal made history on June 21, 2009, becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament, by clinching the Indonesia Open with a stunning victory over higher-ranked Chinese Wang Lin in Jakarta. (The Super Series tournament is roughly equivalent to a Grand Slam in tennis).
Saina Nehwal is the top ranked female player in Indian Badminton history. Saina won her second career Super Series title by winning the Singapore Open title on June 20, 2010. She completed a hat-trick in the same year by winning the Indonesian Open on June 27, 2010. This win resulted in her rise to 3rd ranking and subsequently to No. 2. Later in the same year she also won Hong Kong Super Series on December 12, 2010.
Saina has been signed up by Olympic Gold Quest to support her in fulfilling her dream of winning the Olympic gold medal. Saina Nehwal was awarded with Arjuna award in August, 2009. Saina has been awarded with Padma Shri award in January 2010.
Saina has became one of the 8 brand ambassadors of 2010 Commonwealth Games held on New Delhi India. Saina has been awarded with the highest indian national sporting award given to players, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on 29 August 2010.
Saina was recently voted as the third best Badminton Player of the Year 2010 by readers of an international badminton magazine, Badzine. Lin Dan expectedly won the top spot with 30% votes followed by Lee Chong Wei with 26%, Saina winning 9% in the third place.
In 2012 London Olympics Saina created history as she became the first Indian ever to win an Olympic medal in badminton. Playing for bronze medal match against the World number 2 of China Wang Xin of China.
On 21 October 2012, Saina won the Denmark Open Super Series Premier after defeating Juliane Schenk 21-17 21-8 in the finals and became the second Indian to win this tournament.
In 2014 Saina won the Women's Singles of India Open Grand Prix Gold Tournament. She won Women's Singles of 2014 Australian Super Series with beating Spain's Carolina Marin in the Final and reaches the ranking of World no. 7, hiking two spots. In the final of China Open Super Series Premier 2014 Saina beating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi and became the 1st Indian woman to win the China Open Super Series Premier.
