Reigning world champion P. V. Sindhu made the badminton world sit up and take notice of her on social media, in which she stated "Denmark Open was the final straw, I RETIRE".
The Indian, who is training, in London got fans thinking she had hung up her racquet professionally at the age of 25.
Comments left on her post pleaded with her to 'reconsider her decision', while others wished her the best in her future and lamented her absence from the sport.
But the fact is, Sindhu did not retire from the sport. She was intent on 'retiring' for another reason.
"This pandemic has been an eye opener for me. I could train hard to fight the toughest of opponents, tooth and nail, right till the final shot of the game. But how do I defeat this virus that has the entire world in a fix?
"So many heart breaking stories online has got me to question a lot about myself and the world we live in. Not being able to represent India at the Denmark Open was the last straw," she said.
Sindhu went on to say she chooses to retire "from the negativity, the constant fear and uncertainty."
"I choose to retire from substandard hygiene standards and our lackadaisical attitude towards the virus."
The world number seven added while she was disappointed not to participate at the Denmark Open, she would focus her energy in preparing for the Asian leg in January.
Sindhu’s heartfelt statement came after India recorded over eight million total coronavirus cases, while the death count now stands at 123,000 and counting.
She was slated to participate at the Denmark Open before pulling out, in light of the increasing number of cases in Denmark at that point.
