My Body Is Wearing Down: Tennis Star Sania Mirza To Retire This Year

One of the most iconic Tennis players in the country, Sania Mirza, has announced that she will be retiring at the end of this sporting season. On January 19, Mirza had lost in the first round of women's doubles at the Australian Open.

The 35-year-old made the announcement after her ouster in the first round at the Australian Open on Wednesday. Speaking about her decision to retire, Mirza 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."

Suggested Reading: Nothing Without Hard Work &Talent: Sania Mirza On What Makes A Champion

She further added that her knee was really hurting today and while she wasn't saying that's the reason she and her partner Nadiia Kichenok lost, but she does think that it is taking time to recover as she is getting older.

I've decided that this will be my last season. I'm taking it week by week: Sania Mirza.

Sania Mirza to Retire

According to Mirza, it was getting difficult for her to find the motivation to continue playing. "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."

Sania Mirza is India's highest-ranked woman tennis star, what was world number 27 back in 2007. Winner of six Grand Slam titles, who is also the first woman from the country to ever win a Grand Slam, Sania Mirza brought glory to the country by winning medals at Commonwealth and Asian Games.

Mirza had gone on maternity back for two years after the birth of her son, making a comeback in 2020. She went on to represent India at the Tokyo Olympics.

Her retirement announcement was received with respect by her admirers and sports enthusiasts on social media. They showered her with best wishes for the on-going season and recalled her achievements through the years. One user wrote, "Curtains come down on a great career at the end of 2022. Super Mom Sania Mirza confirms this is her last season on the tennis tour. An athlete I admire for her efforts, honesty. Watched her for over two decades. Role model, diva, great human..big list."

She is married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. The couple has a son- Izhaan Mirza Malik, who was born in 2018. However, it seems that all is not well between Mirza and Shoaib Malik. According to Mirza's latest Instagram story, marital trouble seems to be brewing between the high-profile couple. Adding more fuel to the speculations of the rumours of her divorce, Mirza shared a cryptic post, that has left her fans worried. She wrote in an Instagram, "Where do broken hearts go. To find Allah".