Tennis Legend Sania Mirza Announces Retirement; This Will Be Her Last Season

Sarthak Bhagat

| Updated: 20 January, 2022 11:37 am IST

NEW DELHI: India’s most successful Tennis champion has announced her retirement amid Australian Open 2022 after losing the Australian open women’s doubles first round with partner Nadiia Kichenok.

The 35-year-old Sania Mirza had returned to tennis after giving birth to her son in March 2019.

While talking to the media, Tennis star said that she is putting her 3-year-old son at risk by travelling so much with him. She said “I’ve decided that this will be my last season. 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.”

“I’ve always said that I will play until I enjoy that grind, the process and not just winning but you have to enjoy the process and I am not sure I’m enjoying it anymore. 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. It’s beat,” she said.

35-year-old Tennis legend Sania has 6 Grand Slam Double Titles, Arjuna Award in 2004, Padma Shri in 2006, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2015, Padma Bhushan in 2016.

She was the first woman to win a WTA Title in 2005 after defeating Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko (6-4, 5-7, 6-3). She also became the first-ever Indian to reach the fourth round of US Open 2005 after beating Marion Bartoli 7-6, 6-4 in the third round. In 2009, Mirza became the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam.

Sania was named one of the ’50 Heroes of Asia’ by Time in 2005. She was also named in Time Magazine’s 2016 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.