Sania Mirza, the undisputed queen of Indian tennis for over two decades, has retired. She announced the end of her decades long career at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai on Tuesday. She came onto the court for the final time, alongside the USA’s Madison Keys. In the first round, the Indo-American duo lost the match 4-6, 0-6 to the Russian duo of Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova.
She rose to fame in the male-dominated sport of tennis in India, where no one expected a female tennis player to represent India and win a grand slam or medal in an international championship, as their male counterparts had done. All were simply following tennis players such as Maria Sharapova, Anna Cornivova, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and others. But, thanks to Sania Mirza, she broke the jinx that women in India couldn’t become world beaters in sports.
Sania was a competent player, but she was known more for her fashion sense than her athletic abilities at the beginning of her career. But, by her hard work and determination, she was able to achieve various milestones and leave her imprint on the minds of people not just in India, but all around the world.
Sania won six Grand Slam championships and 44 WTA titles during her career. She teamed up with Zhang Shuai from China for her most recent doubles victory at the Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic in 2021. She finished her Grand Slam career as the runner-up in mixed doubles at the Australian Open last month.
She won the Hyderabad Open in 2005, becoming India’s first WTA singles champion. She had the potential to be a good singles player, but persistent wrist injuries forced her to focus solely on doubles in 2013. She was also the first Indian woman to be ranked 27 in the World Tennis Association’s singles rankings, which were issued in mid-2007.
In 2012, she made headlines when Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and the All India Tennis Association (AITA) used her as “bait” for their own personal gain. She was caught in the crossfire of three major egos over who she should partner with in the mixed doubles event at the London Olympics. She hadn’t yet come into her own, but writing an open letter accusing all three of chauvinism was a start.
She has been a well-known supporter of gender equality, particularly in sports. After she rocketed to popularity in 2005, a group of Muslim experts issued a fatwa, labelling her choice of on-court clothes of a short-sleeved T-shirt and skirt “un-Islamic” and “corrupting”. She remained undeterred by such diversions, focused on the game, and went on to become a professional tennis player.
She is a mother as well as a sportswoman, and her ability to bounce back after giving birth could encourage millions of other moms to follow their passions.
She has become a role model for girls not only in India but throughout the Indian subcontinent. Girls from this region have to overcome cultural and religious barriers to be the best at their respective careers. And Sania has inspired a new generation of young women to pursue their goals.
Sania Mirza’s retirement will create a huge void in Indian tennis and that is unlikely to be filled for a long time.
