'Battle against fear': Nozomi Okuhara reveals painful reason behind withdrawal from BWF World Championships

Rio Olympics bronze medallist Nozomi Okuhara has revealed that she was forced to withdraw from her BWF World Championships quarterfinal against Pornpawee Chochuwong after pain from surgery she underwent last month became too difficult to manage. The 31-year-old Japanese shuttler had battled through a three-game match against USA’s Ishika Jaiswal in the previous round. The 57-minute contest appeared to have taken a physical toll on Okuhara, who was unable to continue in the quarterfinal.

Okuhara had already given a walkover to double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open last month before undergoing surgery on July 22. Despite having just over a month to recover, she was determined to make it to the World Championships. “Since it was decided that I would undergo surgery on July 22, I have been aiming to step onto the court at this tournament," Okuhara tweeted on Friday morning.

However, the lingering pain ultimately forced her to withdraw, handing Chochuwong a place in the semifinals and guaranteeing the Thai shuttler her maiden World Championships medal. Chochuwong is expected to meet second seed Akane Yamaguchi in the last four. Okuhara had enjoyed a strong run earlier this season, reaching the Australian Open semifinals in June before winning the Orleans Masters in March.

The Japanese star has two World Championships medals to her name. She won gold at the 2017 Glasgow edition and claimed silver at the 2019 tournament in Basel. Okuhara entered the 2018 World Championships in Nanjing as the defending champion but saw her title defence end in the quarterfinals against Sindhu. The Indian defeated Okuhara in straight games, reversing the result from their memorable 2017 final.

Okuhara had won her first BWF World Tour title at the Thailand Open Super 500, defeating Sindhu 21-15, 21-18. At the 2019 World Championships, where she was seeded third, Okuhara defeated He Bingjiao and Ratchanok Intanon to reach the final once again, setting up another showdown with Sindhu.

The rematch of the 2017 World Championships final ended in a one-sided defeat for Okuhara, as Sindhu won 21-7, 21-7 to claim the title and leave the Japanese player with silver. Okuhara later added another major achievement to her resume by winning her second All England Open title in 2021, five years after her first triumph in 2016. She defeated Chochuwong in the final to lift the prestigious trophy.