New Delhi: India’s first women’s tennis superstar, Sania Mirza on Wednesday announced her retirement plans, confirming that the 2022 season will be her last.

The Indian tennis player has won six Grand Slams and has reached the summit of the WTA doubles ranking. Mirza is also the first Indian to break into the top 30 in the WTA singles ranking.
Mirza announced her retirement plans after her opening-round loss in women’s doubles event at the ongoing Australian Open. The 35-year-old after her match said: “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 3-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.”

“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.”

“Having said that, I still want to play the season because I’m enjoying it enough to play the year. I’ve worked very hard to come back, get fit, lose the weight and try to set a good example for mothers, new mothers to follow their dreams as much as they can. Beyond this season, I don’t feel my body doing it. It’s beat,” Mirza added.

Sania Mirza along with her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok suffered an opening-round loss in the women’s doubles event. Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia defeated Mirza and Kichenok 6-4, 7-6.

Mirza and Kichenok were not able to leave any sort of mark in the first set. However, the duo showed some sort of fight in the second set, but in the end, it did not prove enough.