Just five weeks ago, Kirsty Gilmour was forced to retire mid-match at the German Open due to a tear in her calf, which has kept her off court ever since.

Now, she returns to competition at the 2026 European Championships — a title she has come close to winning many times before. Her impressive career already includes five silver medals and one bronze at the event.

Preparations for this year’s European Championships have been far from ideal. She has had limited match practice leading into the tournament and has missed most of the European leg of the World Tour. Physically, she is still unsure of exactly where she stands as she steps onto court in Huelva on Wednesday. However, the intense run of European tournaments is often mentally demanding for Kirsty, so she may arrive feeling fresher in that regard. “Maybe mentally, I am in a slightly fresher place,” she said.

“Europeans is a crazy tournament, and anything can happen.”

Given what she has been through over the past month, Gilmour enters the championships with a calmer mindset. “I think I am just relaxed about it this year. I always want to win gold, but I don’t know if I am in the best condition this year. We will find out, but at this point I am just going to take it as it comes. Of course, I would love that gold.”

Whether this will finally be the year Kirsty Gilmour stands on top of the podium will become clear over the coming days. For now, it is simply good to see her back on court.

You can watch Kirsty’s comeback on Wednesday, when she faces Agnes Korosi of Hungary. That match, along with all others, can be watched live and free on BadmintonEurope.tv.

The schedule of todays matches can be seen here.