Saina Nehwal is one of the highest earning female badminton players on this planet. Unlike a decade ago, badminton is a huge sport in India now. The main credit for bringing the huge Indian market into badminton goes to Saina Nehwal. While Saina Nehwal might not be the most technically skilled player, she is known for her tough mentality that she shows on court. This is what separates her from many other players out there. She is also the first Indian woman ever to reach the world ranking 1 in badminton.
Major Achievements:
- Bronze Medallist, 2012 London Olympic
- Silver Medallist, 2015 World Championships
- Bronze Medallist, 2017 World Championships
- 2 times Gold Medallist, Commonwealth Games 2010 & 2018
YONEX ASTROX 99
End of 2018 – Present
Saina Nehwal is currently using the Yonex Astrox 99. She has stayed partnered with Yonex throughout the majority of her career. The Astrox 99 is more like a hybrid between the Astrox 88S and the 88D.
The Yonex Astrox 99 was launched in 2018. The racket looks fire with the orange colour and has an interesting feel. It is a stiff and heavy racket which is more suitable for singles players than doubles players.
The racket is good for smashing and it also performed well defensively. Yonex claims this racket can provide steep attacks, this seems like an oversell though. It’s not as fast as Astrox 88D but still moves well for overhead shots and it also delivers power shots better than Astrox 88S.
YONEX ASTROX 77
2017 to End of 2018
This was the first racket to come out in the Astrox series. It has medium flex and is not as stiff as the majority of the other high end professional rackets. This racket also has a very large sweet spot. Many women singles players use this racket including the likes of Akane Yamaguchi, Ratchanok Intanon & Sayaka Takahashi.
YONEX DUORA Z STRIKE
2017 (a few months)
The Yonex Duora Z strike is a unique racket with a weird feel. It is not very user friendly also. Saina Nehwal used this racket for a maximum of just 4-5 months.
YONEX NANORAY 900
2016 and Before
Saina Nehwal used the Nanoray 900 for a very long time. It is primarily an even balanced racket with a stiff shaft. It was mainly preferred by doubles players.
