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Indian tennis superstar Sania Mirza looks to inspire young athletes at Dubai Academy
KARACHI: When Sania Mirza became the first Indian to win a Women’s Tennis Association event in 2005, the victory marked the beginning of her contribution to a number of tennis firsts in the country.
Now, after turning Mirza into a symbol of self-confidence and tenacity, the 35-year-old is making plans for a future off the pitch as she hopes to inspire and develop young talent in the sport she loves.
“For me, playing tennis isn’t about being famous or getting a lot of money; it’s my love for it that surpasses everything else,” Mirza told Arab News in an exclusive interview.
“If I could inspire a girl to pick up a tennis racket, that would mean a lot.”
India’s most accomplished female tennis player says she has established her tennis academy in Dubai over the past year, after setting up several facilities in her home country.
In the UAE, two chapters are currently up and running, with the latest chapter opening earlier this month in the Oud Metha area, where many people from the subcontinent live.
“Dubai has been my second home for a long time,” she said from her home in the UAE.
“Our dream is to encourage young boys and girls to not only play cricket, but tennis and be really good at it. Who knows, maybe one day we will have a champion from Dubai.”
Mirza briefly touched on the death of Queen Elizabeth II in a conversation with Arab News, saying the British monarch’s death felt like “the end of several eras”.
“It’s absolutely sad, and I think it’s a different level of individuals for all of us, for a lot of different reasons. I love royalty, so for me, it’s heartbreaking.”
Mirza’s own headlines came earlier this January when she revealed plans to retire at the end of the 2022 season.
But that plan could change after an injury forced her out of the U.S. Open last month.
“I haven’t recovered from my injury, so I’m not sure about my plans right now,” she said. “Once I recover and start training and racing, I will plan my next move.”
Mirza, who first picked up a racket at the age of six, has won six Grand Slam titles, including three mixed doubles trophies.
When her singles career was interrupted by a wrist injury, she reinvented herself as a doubles player and in April 2015 became the first Indian to top the WTA doubles rankings.
But Mirza said the achievement that made her famous was not without its challenges.
“I was the first to be able to win so many titles, but people didn’t realize it was hard to be the first because there was no way to go; you’re learning from your mistakes,” she said.
“Being a professional athlete and maintaining a workload for over two decades is hard. What everyone sees is just our few hours on the court, and that’s actually the easiest part.”
The athlete faced scrutiny when she decided to return to the field after taking maternity leave in 2018 to give birth to her first child with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
“People have been judging my abilities as a mother. I shouldn’t have to choose between being a good mother and being a tennis player. Why can’t I be both? If I can give my family time, why am I be questioned, and men are not questioned for the same thing?”
Before she got pregnant, Mirza said people thought the couple was infertile.
“They didn’t think I was a professional athlete, maybe my career was more important to me than having kids at that time,” she said.
Believing she has a “bigger goal” than just winning games, her experience has forced her to be more outspoken on the issue, a topic that has also made headlines for other champions, such as US tennis player Serena Williams .
“I’ve been placed in this position where I can reach more people and I feel like it’s my responsibility to talk about these issues,” Mirza said.
The tennis superstar has also been outspoken about ageism in sports and said her decision to retire was due to her numerous injuries.
“The only thing that matters is whether you can win. For me, age is just a number. I’m retiring because I feel like my body is giving up on me.”
The woman, who grew up in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, plans to encourage a new generation of young athletes and expand her tennis academy in the UAE, told Arab News that a biopic may be in the works, although “there’s no specifics yet. “
Mirza said that any biopic should not only show truth and struggle, but also “inspire children.”
“I want to stress that everything has a price, and the success of anything requires sacrifice and commitment. But once you get there, it’s special.”
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