Sania Mirza has announced her retirement from professional tennis after the 2022 season. “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,” Mirza said after her match at the ongoing Australian Open.
The frustration, at times, was palpable on Sania Mirza’s face on the court on Wednesday. The physical struggles for a 35-year-old competing in gusty, challenging conditions of Melbourne show up ever so slightly.
Moments after losing her women’s doubles Australian Open first-round match partnering Nadiia Kichenok in straight sets, Mirza revealed the end of her pioneering professional tennis journey was nigh.
“I’ve decided that this will be my last season,” Mirza said in the post-match press conference after the 12th seeded Indian-Ukranian pair lost to Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek 6-4, 7-6(5).
Sania Mirza shaped tennis in the country and took it to an international level. India being a country where women were judged for even wearing a mini skirt, Sania took a stand for herself and set an example for women out there.