India, March 26 -- The badminton world had been waiting 20 months for the return of a certain Carolina Marin, who had announced her comeback at next month's European Championships in her hometown of Huelva.

But it wasn't to be.

"My journey in professional badminton has come to an end and therefore I will not be competing in the European Championships in Huelva," the 32-year-old Marin said in a social media post announcing her retirement on Thursday.

As one of modern-day badminton's greatest exponents, Marin redefined the sport through her feistiness, raw power, high intensity, speed and aggression, which helped her conquer one Olympics (2016) and three World Championships (2014, 2015, 2018).

In the process, the Spaniard dismantled her...