Carolina Marin: 5 things you need to know about Saina Nehwal's next opponent in Denmark Open

#1 How she grew to love badminton

She was first introduced to the sport at the age of 8

Marin visited a badminton hall one day with a friend and liked what she saw. She admitted that it was a bit of a strange sport in her country because they were used to watching tennis. At the age of 12, she had to choose between flamenco and badminton. It was a difficult choice because she had to also decide whether to continue with academics.

When she turned 13, she attended the national under-15 championships. Coach Fernando Rivas spotted her and asked the federation officials to speak to her parents and allow her to play. Marin saw the offer as an opportunity which had to be taken then and there.