HYDERABAD: Indian tennis player Sania Mirza said on Saturday that after a 20-year-long career she wanted to bid adieu to the game on her own terms. Speaking at a press conference held at Sania Mirza Tennis Academy (SMTA) in Rangareddy district, Sania said that she wanted to call it a day while she was still playing well.
“I want different things in life now and the most important of all is that I want to spend time with my son,” said India’s most successful women’s tennis player. Sania will play in an exhibition match to be held Sunday at Lal Bahadur Tennis Stadium in Hyderabad.
‘Emotions will start taking over’
Explaining that a bunch of reasons had fuelled her decision to retire, including multiple injuries, she said: “After so many surgeries, it takes me 45 minutes to warm up before the actual warm-up for the match.”
The exhibition match will include Grand Slam players such as Rohan Bopanna, Ivan Dodig, and Marion Bartoli playing alongside Sania.
“I will say goodbye at the place where it all started. I guess emotions will start taking over soon,” said Sania recollecting her journey which started with her first WTA title at Hyderabad Open in 2005. She became the first Indian woman to win a WTA tour event.
“She has done so much for women in tennis, women in sports and women in general. She is fearless.” said Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who accompanied Sania.