NewsMakers-Daily Latest Urdu Breaking News Updates We Make Better News
Web Desk — Sania Mirza, the former world number one in doubles from India, announced Wednesday that she will retire from tennis after this season due to injuries.
35-year-old Sania Mirza, regarded as India’s greatest women’s tennis player, announced her retirement after she bowed out of the Australian Open in the first round with her partner Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine.
“I have decided that this will be my last season. It’s week by week, not sure if I can last the season, but I want to,” she told the press in Melbourne, in comments later confirmed by her father to AFP.
“I still feel I can play well, go deep in tournaments, and all that stuff.”. But beyond this season, I don’t see my body being able to do that either”.
In the Australian Open mixed doubles, Mirza is paired with American Rajeev Ram, who has won six Grand Slam doubles titles. They would play on Thursday.
Mirza is married to Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik. Her last trophy was the women’s doubles title at the Ostrava Open in September, with China’s Zhang Shuai.
Mirza became the first Indian woman to win a singles WTA title, in 2005, in Hyderabad. The following year, she reached the fourth round of the US Open and by 2007 was ranked among the top 30 women in the world.
Sania Mirza, however, did not disclose whether she would completely become a housewife or take the coaching responsibilities after retirement.
Sania Mirza was born on November 15, 1986 in Mumbai, India. She married Shoaib Malik in 2010. The couple has one son Izhaan Mirza Malik.
Sania Mirza’s Major Achievements
Sania won 14 medals across all multi-sports events. The collection has an impressive six gold medals for the country. She has won seven medals across different editions of the Asian Games in both women’s and mixed doubles categories. Mirza also clinched the Women’s Singles silver medal and Women’s Doubles bronze medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Sania reached World No.1 in doubles on April 13, 2015– the pinnacle of WTA Rankings.
She is the only female Indian player to win a WTA title of any kind. She has won WTA Finals on two occasions. Sania Mirza and Cara Black won the WTA Finals in 2014. However, partnering up with Martina Hingis next year, the Indian player went on to defend her crown at the WTA Finals in 2015.
Sania Mirza won Australian Open (2009), French Open (2012) while pairing with another Indian star Mahesh Bhupati. Her third mixed doubles title at the Slams was at the 2014 US Open, partnering Brazilian player Bruno Soares.
Sania is one of the best doubles players India ever produced. Mirza and Martina Hingis won the 2015 Wimbledon and 2015 US Open titles. The pair went on to win their third Grand Slam title with the victory at the 2016 Australian Open.
