Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 22, 2023: Indian tennis icon Sania Mirza has urged young women to have self-belief as she brought the curtain down on a glorious 20-year career on Tuesday, February 21.
Sania, 36, ended her two-decade professional career on a losing note, bowing out in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. She lost in straight sets along with American partner Madison Keys. The pair went down 4-6, 0-6 to Russian duo Vernokia Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova.
In an interview with the Indian Express before her final tournament, Sania said: “I want to tell young women, don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do what you want.
“You cannot let anybody else decide what you should or should not do, and I am sure they will try. No matter how hard outside the box your choice is, always back yourself,” added Sania, a former doubles world number one.
The Indian tennis legend, who had turned pro back in February 2003, ended her career with six Grand Slam trophies. Three of those came in women’s doubles with Swiss great Martina Hingis. The other three were in mixed doubles, two with compatriot Mahesh Bhupati and one with Brazilian Bruno Soares.
Earlier last month, Sania was denied a fairytale ending to her Grand Slam career after she lost in the Australian Open mixed doubles final with compatriot Rohan Bopanna.
“As a young woman, no matter what you do in life, you are put under a lot of pressure. I was lucky my parents were supportive. You have to embrace the pressure and thrive under that pressure,” advised Sania, one of the first young Indian women to make a mark in professional sport in the 21st Century.
