Sania Mirza, the former doubles’ world number 1 tennis player, announced on 19 January that this season would be her last. Raised in Hyderabad, Mirza started playing the sport at the age of six with her father as her coach. In 2001, at the age of 14, Mirza debuted on the senior circuit in Chandigarh at an ITF tournament. It was at this match she was recognised for her talent. She won the match with a score of 6-0 and 6-1 against her opponent, Geeta Manohar, who was three years senior to her. By 2003, she decided to train and compete professionally. Mirza first represented India globally as a 15-year-old at the 2002 Busan Asian Games. She, along with Leander Paes, won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles event. In 2003, she won three titles securing her status as one of India’s most promising tennis players. She went on to win four gold medals in the same year at the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad. The same year also saw her lift the doubles title at Wimbledon Juniors along- side Alisa Kleybanova of Russia. Mirza’s performance in the 2005 Grand Slam season brought her inter- national recognition, as she reached the third round in the Australian Open women’s singles category, the second round at Wimbledon, and the fourth round at the US Open. Following her performances, she was awarded the ‘WTA Newcomer Of the Year’. The 35-year-old reached her career high singles’ ranking of 27 in 2007. Doubles Triumph At the 2009 Australian Open, Mirza, along with her partner Mahesh Bhupathi, won the mixed doubles event. She has won a total of six Grand Slam titles, three in the doubles category and three in the mixed doubles category. Due to a serious wrist injury, she backed out from playing singles in 2013 and focused on doubles instead. Mirza made history in 2015 after bagging the world No.1 spot in the doubles category. After a break from 2017 to 2019 due to injuries and maternity leave, Mirza resumed playing as part of the Tokyo Olympics squad in 2020. In January 2022, Mirza announced that it would be her last season, citing her injuries and her young son as the reason. The six-time Grand Slam winner said that the sport was taking a toll on her body and decided to retire to focus on her health. In a country where cricket has dominated for years, Mirza popularised the game of tennis and inspired several Indians, especially women, to play the sport. Despite facing several issues, she maintained a positive attitude and performed exceptionally well. She has now become a house- hold name that is synonymous with women’s tennis in India.
10 Apr 2022
Keerthana Unni
