Wimbledon 2021: Sania Mirza to team up with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the women’s doubles event

Wimbledon 2021: Sania Mirza to team up with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the women’s doubles event

Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza will once again return to doubles action at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships as she partners America’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the women’s doubles event.

The six-time doubles Grand Slam winner Mirza has been out of action for a while after pregnancy and injury issues. That said, she took part in the women’s doubles event in Doha and Dubai earlier in the year.

The 34-year-old was also spotted partnering with Mattek-Sands in Eastbourne where the duo was ousted in the opening round itself. Mirza and Mattek-Sands have also paired up on the WTA circuit, before the Indian took time away from the game for her pregnancy. The pair has also won six WTA titles previously.

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Ankita Raina, Sania Mirza
Ankita Raina, Sania Mirza

Mirza is also set to represent India in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, where she will team up with Ankita Raina in the women’s doubles event. She will also become the first female athlete to represent India at four Olympics when she competes at Tokyo 2020, which will get underway on July 23.

“I have had an amazing career,” said Mirza told Olympics.com. “It’s just about believing in yourself and believing in your abilities. I am in my 30s and I’m still here! I don’t really think too much about it (how long I will play). I take it day by day, I don’t really think too far into the future.”

Tough road for Mirza & Mattek-Sands at Wimbledon

Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands

The six-time Grand Slam winner has also won the doubles title at Wimbledon in 2015 and would be keen to repeat her heroics once again in 2021.

The pair of Mirza and Mattek-Sands will begin their Wimbledon quest next week. That said, they are due to meet sixth seeds Alexa Guarachi/Desirae Krawczyk. The Chilean-American duo reached the final of the 2020 French Open and have won two WTA titles together this year (Adelaide and Strasbourg).

Even if the Indo-American duo manages to upset the Chilean-American pair, they might have to meet either the all-Russian duo of Elena Vesnina and Veronika Kudermetova or the Russian-Kazakh duo of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Rybakina.

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