Tennis star Sania Mirza has announced her retirement from professional tennis after the 2022 season.
Mirza announced her retirement plans after a first-round exit in women’s doubles at the #AustralianOpen.
The 35 year old is the most successful woman in Indian tennis history. She had retired from the singles competitions in 2013, to focus on the doubles games, where she went on to achieve many firsts.
This includes has 6 Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles & mixed doubles to her name, including three back-to-back Grand Slam doubles titles with Swiss legend and former World Number 1 Martina Hingis in 2015.
Mirza is also the first Indian tennis player to break into the top 30 in the WTA singles ranking, peaking at world No. 27 in mid-2007.
‘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,’ Mirza said after the match. I think my body is wearing down. My knee was really hurting today and Im not saying thats the reason we lost but I do think that it is taking time to recover as Im getting older.’
Mirza suffered an opening-round loss in the womens doubles event with her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok, as Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia defeated the duo 6-4, 7-6.