Born and brought in a Hyderabadi family, the talented star has been making the country proud and has come out as a winner over and above all hurdles. She has come to be known as controversy’s favorite child, but she did not let troubles come in her way of becoming a world champion. Just as she gears up to accept the prestigious Padma Bhushan award, she gives us an insight into her winning spree and her future goals.
Post her retirement from the singles, Sania has partnered with another world champion Martina Hingis to smash many women’s doubles titles. The duo just flagged a hatrick win after conquering the Australian Open for women’s doubles. With three consecutive wins, Sania-Martina have no reasons to complain. Being a habitual winner can be addictive and losing is not an option anymore. The star says, “Well, yes, winning does tend to get infectious and keeps the momentum going. It is the kind of habit that we sportsmen always dream of inculcating.” The pair is training hard and gearing up for their upcoming tournaments and are as fiery and confident as ever.
The partnership between Sania and Martina has been applauded by tennis lovers, media and their peers across the globe. The girl power seems to have taken the world tennis by storm and they refuse to lose. While the duo are nothing less than a match made in heaven, Sania talks about what’s working for them on and off court, “Our strengths complement each other’s games and we do get along well on and off the court. But our biggest strength is the fact that we both handle the critical pressure moments better than most others and that makes a huge difference.”
Not only did Sania achieve great success but had to deal with her share of injuries and wounds which are a part of an athlete’s journey. The sports star has gone through a knee surgery in 2011 and has been injured many a time which has kept her away from the court for a long duration. Sania came back with a bang and the rest is history. “Experience is a great teacher and that helps one improve if one is willing to learn and keep getting better. But my forehand, which has been my biggest weapon all along is something that has held up well all through my career,” she adds.
Many success stories have had their share of good and bad;and Sania is no stranger to greatest levels of success. She was born in a close knit family and her father being a sports journalist helped her find exposure to the talented field of tennis. Sania is known for her down-to-earth attitude, which could be difficult to balance when attaining success. “I think my parents and support from my family has ensured that I never take my success for granted and that has kept me grounded,” she says.
SaniaMirza won the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2006 and a decade later she is all set to be awarded a Padma Bhushan. Sania received the news when she was busy dashing towards winning her third Grand Slam in Australia last month. The ecstatic star reveals, “I was in Melbourne, playing in the Australian Open and of course, it was thrilling to hear that I had been selected for the prestigious Padma Bhushan award.”
The 29-year-old player has not had a holiday in a really long time. Her continuous tournaments have kept her away from her friends and family, leaving her with very little time to balance life on and off court. She says, “The tennis circuit can be grueling and as professionals, we spend a lot of time away from home, family and friends. This goes with the territory and there is not too much we can do about it. However, the travel gives me the opportunity to meet a lot of members of my extended family and friends who are based in cities where I travel to in order to play in tournaments all over the world.”
Sania has never paid heed to celeb thrashing. She has released many funny Dubsmash videos on her Instagram account and a lot of them feature clips of her favourite comic character, Gutthi. Her fans and peers are surprised at her ability to take controversies and rumours with a pinch of salt. The humour-loving tennis player says, “I believe that humour is the spice of life and adds a lot of fun. I am blessed with the ability to see humour even in difficult situations that life throws up and that helps me to cope with all kinds of problems better.”
SaniaMirza has been married to her cricketer husband Shoaib Malik for over 5 years now and the couple have not been spared by the rumour mills. Sceptics have time and again questioned the status of their marriage as the couple is not spotted together regularly. The celebrity couple has never officially given a statement or explanation on their status and Sania sets the record straight. She says, “As sportsmen, Shoaib and I understandhow privileged we are to have the opportunity to play asport professionally and we take pride in each other’s performances. Besides, we understand the problems that professional sportsmen face and the upheavals that we have to overcome in our professions.”
Shoaib Malik has been busy with his tournaments and is captaining Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League in Dubai. Sania was seen taking time off and cheering for her husband during a match between Karachi Kings and Islamabad United shutting all the rumors mills. On successfully managing a long distance marriage, the star says, “One has to play with the cards one is dealt with in life and as sportsmen we are perhaps better equipped to handle the pros and cons.”
Sania’s younger sister and budding Journalist Anam Mirza got engaged recently to her beau Akbar Rasheed and the couple is all set to tie the knot soon. The big sister was a part of the vibrant celebrations and she says she is excited for her baby sister and definitely feels old now!
Sania Mirza has set up her own tennis academy in Hyderabad, to provide coaching and training to youngsters who dream of being successful tennis players.The Sania Mirza Tennis Academy has already hosted many tournaments and gives an opportunity for young kids to meet their idols and mentors. “The Sania Mirza Tennis Academy is my dream project where I have tried to provide all the facilities that I missed out on while I was developing as a tennis player. It will be my goal to produce at least a few international level tennis players in the next few years,” says the star, signing off.