Weeks before the start of the postponed Tokyo Olympics, defending women's singles badminton champion Carolina Marin suffered another anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. (More Badminton News)
The 27-year-old took to Twitter to share the news on Friday. Spanish publication Marca reported that former World Champion from Huelva suffered a sore left knee during a training session in the morning, and later it was confirmed that ACL "of the left knee is affected".
The doctors from the Cemtro Clinic, who saw the shuttler, have advised waiting a few days and determine the best treatment, the report added.
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Marin, one of the most celebrated shuttlers, ruptured the ACL in her right knee during the final of the Indonesian Masters on January 27, 2019. Two days later, she underwent surgery. And she was out of the competition for more than seven months, before making a return in September 2019.
And she soon regained her top form, winning China Open, Indian International and Italian Open. She also reached the semi-finals at the Malaysian Masters, then played the final in Indonesia, where she picked up her injury.
After a relatively quiet 2020, Marin reached five finals in five tournaments and won four titles in 2021. But she pulled out of the All England Championships as she didn't want to risk injury.
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Marin's uncertain Olympics participation will give her rivals, including India's PV Sindhu, hope. Normally, ACL tear takes months to fully recover. Even if Marin recovers in time for the Tokyo Games, she will not be at her best. If the three-time world champion fails to turn up, it sure will be a shame.
Chen Yufei of China, Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan, Nozomi Okuhara of Japan are the players ahead of Marin in the world ranking. Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand and Sindhu complete the top six.
Regarded as one of the best in the business, Marin holds a 9-5 head-to-head record against reigning World Champion Sindhu. In their last meeting, Marin beat Sindhu in straight games, 21-12, 21-5 to win the Swiss Open.
The pair produced one of the greatest badminton matches in Olympics history when Marin came from a game down to beat Sindhu 19-21, 21-12, 21-15 in Rio five years ago.
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to start on July 23. International Olympic Committee (IOC) insists that the Games will go ahead, even though Tokyo is currently in a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
