Arathi Sara Sunil is an Indian badminton player. She plays women's doubles events internationally.  Her badminton journey started at age 8 at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium near her home. Her father encouraged her to take up the sport as a form of exercise due to her being chubby. Despite initially not enjoying badminton and facing height-related challenges, she spent most of her time hitting the shuttlecock hanging from the roof. Additionally, she also took classical dance lessons during this time.

Arathi changed coaches, which fuelled her growing interest in badminton. She began her career playing women's singles but transitioned to doubles after finding limited success in singles. Initially without a fixed partner, she eventually teamed up with Prajakta Sawant.

Arathi’s journey in badminton has been marked by various partnerships, each ending for different reasons, from injuries to compatibility issues. After parting ways with Sanjana Santosh after the world championships last year, she briefly paired with Maneesha until November when Maneesha got injured.

Later, she teamed up with Mahima Agarwal for two tournaments, but it didn't pan out. Then, in May, India’s doubles coaches proposed that the 23-year-old Arathi pair with a junior, Rutaparna Panda, who was seeking a partner due to her regular partner Mithula UK's injury.

Despite only a month of training together at the national camp in Hyderabad, Arathi and Rutaparna entered and won their first tournament together in Bengaluru. 2011 - Won bronze medal in mixed team event at Asia Junior Championships.

This senior ranking event served as an Asian Games selection trial and featured strong competition. They continued their partnership in another selection event in Hyderabad, reaching the semifinals despite Arathi's left shoulder injury.

Their performance earned them a spot in India’s Asian Games squad, showcasing their remarkable progress in a short time. Now, with their newfound partnership, they are gearing up for the Asian Games.

Singles:

• Total - Played: 17, Won: 9, Lost: 8, Balance: +1, Earnings: 305
• 2024 - No matches played

Doubles:

• Total - Played: 128, Won: 70, Lost: 58, Balance: +12, Earnings: 8,287
• 2024 - Played: 7, Won: 5, Lost: 2, Balance: +3, Earnings: 0

Mixed Doubles:

• Total - Played: 11, Won: 6, Lost: 5, Balance: +1, Earnings: 178
• 2024 - No matches played

Doubles Partnerships:

• 2013 - Won gold with Prajakta Sawant at Bahrain International and Bangladesh International.
• 2015 - Won gold with Poorvisha S. Ram at Bahrain International.
• 2016 - Won gold with Sanjana Santosh at Polish International. Defeated Ukraine's Natalya Voytsekh and Yelyzaveta Zharka.
• 2017 - Runner-up with Maneesha Kukkapalli at Polish International.
• 2018 - Won gold at Hellas Open.

Tried seven different partners over four years.

World Ranking:

• Currently ranked World No. 193 in Women's Doubles.

Recent Journey:

• Split from Sanjana Santosh after 2022 World Championships loss. Brief stints with Maneesha Kukkapalli and Mahima Agarwal.
• May 2023 - Paired with teenaged Rutaparna Panda by coaches after Panda's partner Mithula UK got injured.

Arathi Sara Sunil secured success in a senior ranking tournament in Bengaluru, earning her spot in the Asian Games selection trial. Despite a shoulder injury, she reached the semifinals in a selection event in Hyderabad. As a result, she was selected for the Asian Games team with Rutaparna Panda.