On Wednesday (January 29) Sania Mirza, an ace Indian tennis player, made an announcement. This actually hinted at her retirement plans. She announced that the year 2022 will be her final season on the WTA tour. This is her first-round loss in women’s doubles at the Australian Open.
The 35-year-old Sania Mirza got partnered with Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok, seeded 12th. They lost 4-6, 6-7 to the unseeded Slovenian pair of Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek. They lost the match in one hour and 36 minutes.
“There’s a few reasons for it. It’s not as simple as ‘okay I’m not going to play’. I do feel my recovery is taking longer, I’m putting my three-year-old son at risk by travelling so much with him, that’s something I have to take into account. I think my body is wearing down. My knee was really hurting today and I’m not saying that’s the reason we lost but I do think that it is taking time to recover as I’m getting older,” Sania told this to the broadcasters. She gave the information after the match at Melbourne Park.
“Also for me to find that motivation everyday to come out. The energy is not the same anymore. There are more days than there used to be where I don’t feel like doing that. I’ve always said that I will play until I enjoy that grind, the process which I’m not sure I’m enjoying as much anymore,” she added.
Sania Mirza is a former world No. 1 in doubles. She has a career-best ranking of 27 in singles. Currently, she is now ranked 68th in the world.
Sania Mirza is the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam. She has won Majors in doubles. She has also won medals at Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. In 2016, her last Slam came at the Australian Open with Martina Hingis.
“I have a bit of a meniscus issue going on my right knee, I woke up with wrist pain a couple of days ago. At 35, I am waking up with a couple of things that I don’t know where they’re coming from! I want to finish the season, to at least play until the US Open, that is my goal. But I still have to take it week-to-week,” Sania said.
Sania Mirza is, quite simply, India’s first female tennis superstar. The sudden hints towards her retirement has left many of her fans shocked. Many fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts and feelings. Many netizens thanked her for contributing so much strength and time for our country. She has definitely made India proud by winning medals. Many people thanked her for making her nation proud. Here are some of the tweets:
“Happy retirement @MirzaSania . One of the most successful women tennis players in Indian history. U r an inspiration For all of us #SaniaMirza” a Twitter user commented.
Another user wrote, “#SaniaMirza you are one of the few athlete whose game forced me to look beyond the cricket”
“Thank you #SaniaMirza for making India proud on the global tennis stage. Lakhs of Indians believe they can compete in the big league because of your effort,” wrote another user.
Many fans thanked her for everything, and also supported her for this decision. Twitter got filled with her photos and tweets for her. Definitely fans are going to miss her. Everyone is still thankful to her to make India feel proud in many ways by winning many medals. Well, not only fans, but some celebrities too. Celebrities like Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor came in to support Sania Mirza’s decision. Ranveer and Arjun both addressed Mirza as a “Queen” and “Inspiration” respectively. They mentioned her in their Instagram stories.
Thank you sania mirza for all lovely memories that you gave to us in tennis#SaniaMirza pic.twitter.com/BO7ctTVZ68
— Praveen Prakash (@Praveen94300) January 19, 2022
