Sania Mirza to retire after 2022 season

Mirza, seeded 12th with Nadiia Kichenok, lost to Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek 4-6, 6-7 (5) in women's doubles at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Published : Jan 19, 2022 14:53 IST

Sania Mirza is India's most successful female tennis player.
Sania Mirza is India's most successful female tennis player.
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Sania Mirza is India's most successful female tennis player.

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza announced that the current season would be her last on the WTA Tour after the first-round loss in the women’s doubles of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.

“We (the family members) have been discussing this subject for quite a few weeks. But Sania hopes to finish the year on the Tour if her body holds up,” Imran Mirza, father-cum-mentor of Sania informed  Sportstar .

Sania said that she felt the recovery was taking much longer now and that she was putting her three-year-old son Izhaan Mirza Malik to risk by travelling so much with him.

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The six-time Grand Slam winner also pointed out she was getting older and that her knees were hurting a lot, and it was never easy to recover from these niggles. "I am not sure if this body will take anymore load beyond this season," said Sania, who was also the World No 1 in women’s doubles.

"As things stand, Sania hopes to play till the US Open this year if everything works out well including her body and the pandemic scenario across the world," Imran said.

"Well, it is difficult to sum up a decision of such a long, eventful career in a sentence or two. But, I wholeheartedly support her decision,"he concluded.

Now the champion tennis player will have the time to focus more on training the young talent at her world-class academy in Hyderabad.

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