Sania Mirza pens emotional goodbye note, Australian Open will be her last Grand Slam

Sania Mirza confirms the 2023 Australian Open will be her final Grand Slam tournament before bowing out from official competitions in February.


Sania Mirza pens emotional goodbye note, Australian Open will be her last Grand Slam

Sania Mirza

Goodbyes are painful and tearful. On Friday, Sania Mirza, penned down some beautiful lines, laced with emotion, as she made it clear the Australian Open will be her final Grand Slam. The official last event she will compete in is the WTA Tour Event in Dubai in February.

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Sania has often been referred to as Super Mom, in the same breath as Serena Williams, as both made hard returns after pregnancy and delivery. There is a similarity between these two ladies, as both crave for being with their children. The number of tweets Serena used to post on her daughter Olympia was very high, and how much she missed her.

It has been the same with Sania, who now feels bringing up her son Izhaan is more important. In her own words, Sania says this is the end of one journey, 18 years at the Grand Slams, and the beginning of another journey. For those who watched Sania explode on the big stage almost two decades ago, she punched above her weight.

Her flashy inside-out forehand caught the eye and so did her never-say-die approach. In her breakthrough year, the way she fired at big guns was inspirational. For Asia, Europe and America, Sania was some sort of a phenomenon.

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Sania Mirza to bow out after the Dubai Open

Sania Mirza with son Izhaan
Sania Mirza with son Izhaan

A Muslim girl from Hyderabad making it big on the tennis tour. For all those who rave about Ons Jabeur as a symbol for the Arab world, Sania played as an Indian and the religion issue was raked up by the Western media. She handled all that with aplomb. That she could zoom to singles rankings in the 30s was creditable. Sadly, her body had to deal with many injuries, including her wrist, ankle, shoulder, and a few more joints.

She must have had more MRI scans than anyone another Indian athlete. A few surgeries were major but each time she bounced back like a yo-yo. There came a stage, when she had to decide whether to prolong her career or stow away her rackets. That is when Sania shifted to just doubles and made a huge dent. Her partnerships were iconic, which includes Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis among the evergreen stars.

That she went on to play top-class mixed doubles was also in focus, which is how she made a new mark. Her record in Grand Slams is six — three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles. One big medal missing is the Olympics, which was so close when she and Rohan Bopanna played in the bronze medal playoff in the Rio Olympics in 2016. It was a heartbreak for both the players.

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When Sania slipped into a maternity break, she had put on a lot of weight. Her return to top fitness, using a protected ranking to make a comeback, and then choosing to compete during the Covid pandemic was hard. After all, she had to care for her son Izhaan as well. 2022 should have seen Sania retire, but an injury meant she had to miss the last Grand Slam, the US Open.

That is why she had made a big decision to compete at the Australian Open. It is going to be high on the emotional quotient. This is where her journey began, in Melbourne. It seems like yesterday she was firing the bazooka forehand. Sunset is on the horizon, no doubting that.

“I take pride in everything I have been able to achieve in the last 20 years of my professional career and I am so grateful for the memories I have been able to create,” said Sania on her post. “Life must move on and I don’t think this is the end, but, in fact, a beginning of many different memories to be created, dreams to be achieved and new goals to be set,” added Sania. “My son needs me more than ever now,” stressed Sania.

Good luck, Super Mom, you gave fans great moments to cherish.

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