Indian tennis star Sania Mirza announced her intention to retire from the sport after the current season. Mirza made the announcement after she and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok suffered an opening-round loss in the women’s doubles event of the ongoing Australian Open on Wednesday.
Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia defeated Mirza and Kichenok 6-4, 7-6. “There’s a few [sic] 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 3-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,” said Mirza on Wednesday. The former tennis doubles number one has won six Grand Slam titles so far. She said she wants to play till the end of this season but “beyond” that it is going to be difficult.
“Also for me to find that motivation every day 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.
“Having said that, I still want to play the season because I’m enjoying it enough to play the year. I’ve worked very hard to come back, get fit, lose the weight and try to set a good example for mothers, new mothers to follow their dreams as much as they can. Beyond this season, I don’t feel my body doing it,” Mirza added.
Mirza made her senior debut in 2003 and holds the record for the highest-ranked women’s singles player from India (no.27). She had retired from singles in 2013 and registered notable victories against renowned players like Martina Hingis, Victoria Azarenka, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina, among others during her 10-year career.
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While injury issues shortened her singles stint, Mirza specialised in doubles and went on to secure wins in Wimbledon and US Open (both in 2015), as well as the Australian Open (2016) in women’s doubles alongside Hingis. She also won three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, making her one of the most decorated players in Indian tennis history.
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