Highlights:
- Sania Mirza has bagged one single’s title and 43 double’s titles in her glittering career so far.
- The former doubles number 1 announced retirement ahead of the opening-round loss at the Australian Open.
- She mentioned her body is “wearing down” and a loss in the “energy and motivation” to come back every day.
Indian ace tennis icon Sania Mirza announces retirement from the sport ahead of the 2022 season mentioning that her body is wearing down and the motivation and energy necessary for an everyday grind is not what it used to be.
Sania, aged 35 years, was back on court after giving birth to her son Izhaan in March 2019 but the coronavirus pandemic impeded her progress. She announced retirement after facing defeat in the first round of women’s doubles of the Australian Open. Sania was paired with Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok.
Sania said in the post-match conference that there is more than one reason which has compelled her to take the decision. Her recovery is taking much longer than earlier since she is raising a three-year-old right now. Also, frequent travelling with her son is risky for the child considering the pandemic situation at hand. Sania added that her body is wearing down and that her knee was really hurting on the matchday stating that age might be a factor accountable for longer recovery periods.
Sania Mirza and her partner were defeated in the opening round by Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek and Kaja Juvan 4-6,6-7. The former doubles number 1 (Sania) has clinched six Grand Slam titles so far. She emphasised her desire to play till the end of the season but not post that.
She mentioned that it is difficult to get motivated to come out every day and that the energy level has gone down. The grind that she enjoyed while playing the sport doesn’t feel the same now. She stresses the fact that her will to play this season is because she is enjoying it enough at the moment. Having put in tremendous hard work to get fit and make a comeback, Saniz is attempting to set an example for new mothers to follow their dreams as much as they can.
Bollywood stars, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor have come forward in support of the tennis superstar’s career decision. Ranveer took to his Instagram and shared a picture of Sania Mirza holding up the Indian flag. “Queen @mirzasaniar”, wrote the actor, adding a crown emoticon.
Arjun Kapoor also shared an Instagram story mentioning that Sania is an inspiration to many. Sania is the first Indian ever to make it to the Top 30 in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) singles ranking.