Still going strong

Just a month short of her 35th birthday, the diva of Indian tennis, Sania Mirza, presented herself with her 43rd career title in doubles tennis.

Teaming up with well-known Zhang Shuai, Sania came out tops in Ostrava last Sunday in a rich field to win the title. This win — the first for Sania post her maternity break and return to tennis — was timed to a nicety.

As the brand ambassador of not just Indian tennis but also the beacon of Indian sport, Sania has done herself and the nation proud many times. All of a sudden, it seems like she is a veteran, having been on the tennis circuit for well over two decades.

To call any player a veteran may sound a wee bit uncharitable. In fact, most senior players take offence to that reference. Yes, Sania is in her mid-30s — an age when most women tennis players are settled in the comfort zone of retirement with their own families.

No, not Sania. The girl from Hyderabad who took the tennis world by storm in 2003-04, and then emerged as a top singles player, has kept reinventing herself. There are many avatars of this diva — each one more engrossing and enchanting.

If young Sania was pace and grace, strong forehand and good footwork produced explosive results in her singles career till around 2007, she knew a time would come when she had to make big decisions. Her mind was willing, her heart was willing, yet the body took a lot of beating. It would not be an exaggeration to state that by 2008, Sania's body had been bruised and battered because of all that power hitting.

She went under the knife, so to say, on her wrist. There were many injuries to her ankle, niggle with the serving shoulder and more joints. All of a sudden, it seemed she had become a victim of burnout. No, but Sania was not going to throw in the towel. She kept pegging and played singles till as long as she could.

For Indian tennis players, doubles come naturally. Sania too decided if she had to preserve herself and prolong her career, she would have to play more doubles eventually. As someone who won a Grand Slam girls' doubles title as early as 2003 Wimbledon — partnering Alisa Kleybanova at junior Wimbledon — Sania had become a huge hit.

She grabbed headlines, and the transition from the junior stage to the senior stage was gradual, where she ensured she would stay relevant in the very hard tennis world. There were problems of funding, managing travelling coaches and many more impeding factors. But then, as has been the case all through her career, she was supported fully in her endeavours by her loving family. They are the solid rock base on which she has built her career and tasted success.

Once Sania had to give up singles play and focus purely on doubles, she knew it was a tectonic shift. However, she accepted the shift as naturally as the Indian men's tennis heroes — Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. If anything, she has gone on to win greater success and become more powerful in many ways.

When Sania got married in 2010 to Shoaib Malik, a good cricketer from Pakistan, there were doubts if Sania could keep her career going. Not only did Sania hang in, as they say in tennis, but ensured the results would keep coming at the highest level — Grand Slams.

To say that life has been rosy for Sania would be an aberration. She has faced criticism, most times needlessly, and courted controversies. Sania was put under the scanner so many times at press conferences abroad. More often, it was the Western media who were intrigued how a Muslim girl from Hyderabad could make it so far.

She dared, she dreamt and she delivered

That has been the story of her career, despite all the highs and lows, with the latest chapter even more gripping. For any woman athlete, pregnancy and motherhood can result in a shift in priorities. Many thought Sania would never come back to the tennis court as forcefully as before, after she was blessed with son Izhaan in 2018.

Sania found it more than demanding to be a mom and again rediscover herself as a tennis player. She had put on weight and her priority was changed. Motherhood took precedence. Yet, the spark inside as a tennis player still flickered.

Sania knew she was not going to let go of her tennis career so easily. She used the 'protected ranking' well, and competed in the Tokyo Olympics also. The real challenge was to compete and win in the pro circuit. Many said Sania was past her prime, she had put on weight and was also injury prone. But few knew she was slogging crazily on her own fitness, playing tennis in Hyderabad and Dubai, and working hard to stay sharp.

When the Covid-19 broke out in 2020, Sania had to again restrict her travel as flying out with son Izhaan was fraught with risks. However, this year, Sania has been more comfortably placed. It's a huge ask to be living up to the challenges as a mother and also do justice to her tennis career.

There have been many inspirational tennis moms like Serena Williams, who have mixed family life and tennis. For Sania, to do it all over again and win her 43rd career title in Ostrava was a big achievement. This title has come after a long break. It gives her the confidence and composure to plan her career all over again. She is going to be playing the next few weeks as well in 2021.

What about the future?

Sania turns 35 in November. The way she has preserved herself is encouraging. If she can focus on fitness and family, as she has done these years, there is no reason why she should stop playing tennis. To say that she is the best in India, even today, is not an exaggeration.

Young girls like Ankita Raina are fighting hard to break into the big league. Sania is using her experience, craft and hard work to still stay relevant. A ranking of 62 in doubles is no mean achievement. All of a sudden, it looks, the 2022 Grand slam tennis season beckons her.

If Sania continues to dare and dream, nothing can stop her. One must not forget she has won an assortment of six Grand Slam titles in her career to date.

Views expressed are personal