New Delhi: India's most successful female tennis player Sania Mirza today revealed that she will hang up her racquet after getting married.
Sania, who got engaged to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza in July
2009, did not elaborate when she plans to marry but said she will bid
adieu to the game after tying the nuptial knot.
"As of now, I don't intend to play professionally after marriage but that is still some time away," Sania told PTI.
Before
getting engaged to the Indian tennis diva, Sohrab had said that Sania
will have complete freedom in making her career decisions.
"She
has my complete support and backing in whatever she wishes. It is
completely her decision for how long she wishes to play," Sohrab had
told PTI in June.
So when asked if it was purely her decision
to quit the game after marriage, Sania's father Imran Mirza said, "It's
her decision for now. If later she decides to play after marriage, its
her choice."
Ever since turning pro in 2003, Sania has been the face of Indian tennis on the WTA circuit.
She
also became India's first female Grand Slam winner when she won the
Australian Open mixed doubles title with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi
last year.
Sania's start to the 2010 season though was far from
impressive as she lost in the second round of the Auckland event,
followed by a first round defeat at the Hobart event but the Hyderabadi
is hardly perturbed.
"I think after competing for seven years
as a professional and ranked five years in the singles top-100, I've
reached a stage in my career where my performance cannot be judged on
the basis of one or a few tournaments," she said.
"Wins and
losses are part of the game and in a truly global sport like tennis
where more than 220 countries compete seriously, except for the top-10
players, nobody wins too consistently," Sania added.
All that
the Indian wants now is to stay away from injuries in the new season.
Her wrist injury in 2008 had forced her to spend half the year out of
court.
"I am approaching 2010 like any other year. I expect to
continue to work hard, try my very best and leave the rest to God. I
would like to stay away from any serious injuries during 2010," she
said.
Talking about the year gone by, Sania says she is happy
with the way she performed in 2009 although there were only a few
moments of glory for her.
Apart from the triumph at the
Australian Open which was followed by the final appearance in Pattaya
and a win over Shahar Peer were the only high points of Sania's stay on
the tour, last season.
However, the Indian said after losing many a weeks due to pain, the results achieved were satisfactory.
"As
a matter of fact, I did play the semifinals in singles in Birmingham
and Osaka and won an ITF title in USA besides making the final of a
$1,00,000 event in Canada.
"I had singles wins over players like Bartoli and Shahar Peer. Apart from this, I won a doubles title in Ponte Vedra Beach.
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