Sania Mirza, a former doubles World No. 1, announced her retirement from the sport in a recent interview. Mirza had planned to retire from tennis at the end of the 2022 season, but injury setbacks in the second part of the year forced her to postpone that decision.
After missing the US Open last year with an elbow injury, the 36-year-old will be making her farewell appearance at a Grand Slam event in women’s doubles at the Australian Open this month with Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina.
She’s had a tough time of it recently with her fitness, dealing with concerns like a nagging calf injury, but she’s determined to be able to finally retire from competitive tennis on a tournament court.
True to my nature, I prefer to set my own priorities and follow my own path. Injuries are a bad way to go, and I don’t want to be one of those to leave early. Since then, she has been preparing by training, as she said to wtatennis.com.
Last year, after her final performance at Wimbledon, where she came up just short of the mixed doubles final, her father Imran told this newspaper that retiring at the WTA Finals, battling with the world’s best, was a suitable way to end her career. However, injuries prevented that from happening.
At a time when Indian tennis was primarily known for its doubles players, Mirza was a rare bright spot. She also had a great singles career, reaching a peak of World No. 27 before going on to win six Grand Slams and become the top-ranked doubles player in the world. She made it to the fourth round of the 2005 US Open, making her the last Indian to do it.
At 36 years old and after suffering multiple life-threatening injuries, Mirza’s objectives have shifted. I just don’t have the mental fortitude to put in that kind of emotional effort anymore. In 2003, I made the decision to pursue professional tennis,” she told the WTA. At this point in my life, it is not a top concern to exhaust my body physically every day.
Upon retiring, Mirza intends to devote her time and energy to her academies in both Hyderabad and Dubai, where she has lived for over a decade. “It’s vital for me to share my experience wherever I go, so I have one in Hyderabad and one in Dubai,” she explained.
The Dubai Tennis Championships, her final professional tournament, begins on February 19.
