Tag: SANIA MIRZA

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Sania Mirza puts retirement plans on hold

Earlier this year, Sania had declared that 2022 would be her last season in professional tennis but the six-time Grand Slam champion hinted that the latest developments may change her plans to retire…reports Asian Lite News

The Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on Tuesday pulled out of the US Open 2022 due to a tendon injury in her forearm and hinted about some change in her retirement plans.

The 35-year-old picked up the injury while competing at the Canadian Open earlier this month. She played at last week’s Cincinnati Open before reaching the semifinals of the women’s doubles in Toronto with partner Madison Keys.

Earlier this year, Sania had declared that 2022 would be her last season in professional tennis but the six-time Grand Slam champion hinted that the latest developments may change her plans to retire.

“I have some not-so-great news. I hurt my forearm/elbow while playing in Canada two weeks ago and obviously didn’t realise how bad it was until I got my scans yesterday. I have torn a little bit of my tendon,” Sania Mirza said in a statement on Instagram.

“I will be out for a (few) weeks and have pulled out of the US Open. This isn’t ideal, and it’s terrible timing. It will change some of my retirement plans, but I will keep you all posted,” she added.

The former doubles World No 1 was on a maternity break from 2018 till her return to the court in January 2020 in Hobart. Sania partnered with Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine to clinch the title. At the Tokyo Olympics 2020, the newly-formed pair of Sania and Ankita Raina could not shine and suffered a first-round exit. The Ukrainian pair of Nadiia and Lyudmyla beat them convincingly.

Earlier this year, Sania and her Czech partner Lucie Hradecka were knocked out in the third round of the women’s doubles at the French Open. The Indian star also bid adieu to Wimbledon after she and her partner Mate Pavic from Croatia lost the mixed doubles semi-final against Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk.

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Sania Mirza announces ‘END’ to her glittering career

Sania is a former world No. 1 in doubles and had a career-best ranking of 27 in singles. She is currently ranked 68th in the world…reports Asian Lite News

Ace Indian tennis player Sania Mirza on Wednesday announced that 2022 will be her final season on the WTA tour after her first-round loss in women’s doubles at the Australian Open.

The 35-year-old Mirza and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok, seeded 12th, lost 4-6, 6-7 to the unseeded Slovenian pair of Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek in one hour and 36 minutes.

“There’s a few reasons for it. It’s not as simple as ‘okay I’m not going to play’. I do feel my recovery is taking longer, I’m putting my three-year-old son at risk by travelling so much with him, that’s something I have to take into account. I think my body is wearing down. My knee was really hurting today and I’m not saying that’s the reason we lost but I do think that it is taking time to recover as I’m getting older,” Sania told broadcasters after the match at Melbourne Park.

“Also for me to find that motivation everyday to come out. The energy is not the same anymore. There are more days than there used to be where I don’t feel like doing that. I’ve always said that I will play until I enjoy that grind, the process which I’m not sure I’m enjoying as much anymore,” she added.

Sania is a former world No. 1 in doubles and had a career-best ranking of 27 in singles. She is currently ranked 68th in the world.

Mirza, the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam, has won Majors in doubles along with medals at Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Her last Slam came at the 2016 Australian Open with Martina Hingis.

“I have a bit of a meniscus issue going on my right knee, I woke up with wrist pain a couple of days ago. At 35, I am waking up with a couple of things that I don’t know where they’re coming from! I want to finish the season, to at least play until the US Open, that is my goal. But I still have to take it week-to-week,” Sania said.

Mirza is now set to play mixed doubles with fellow Grand Slam champion Rajeev Ram of the USA.

“If this is my last Grand Slam, it is a great way to go out to play with someone who I’ve known since I was 12 years old and we’ll just try to have fun on the court,” she said.

The Indian has not played on the WTA tour as regularly in the last few years, first due to her maternity break in 2018 and then due to the pandemic right after her comeback in 2020. Her last title came in September 2021, when she won her 43rd doubles trophy at the Ostrava Open with Shuai Zhang.

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