Former World No. 1 badminton player Saina Nehwal believes the key difference between players of her generation and the current crop is their difference in aggression. She reckons the newer generation of women’s singles players — the likes of Anupama Upadhyaya, Unnati Hooda, Aakarshi Kashyap, and Malvika Bansod — can achieve greater success if they focus on strengthening their body while adopting a more aggressive, attacking game plan.

“PV Sindhu and myself were extraordinarily attacking players, who were also physically very strong. However, the new girls prefer to play longer rallies, relying on their defence. I don’t think they are physically strong yet, I feel they are a little fragile. They really have to build up their bodies,” Nehwal told mid-day on the sidelines of the Gravate Sports-organised CXO Pickleball League at a city hotel recently.