The Indian tennis legend and multiple Grand Slam winner, Sania Mirza, has decided to return to competitive tennis after a two-year-long maternity break.
Mirza last played at the China Open in October 2017 and will now return to tennis with the Hobart International Tennis Tournament in Australia in January before playing at the Australian Open. She will partner with USA’s Rajeev Ram at the mixed doubles in Australia. Mirza has had an incredible record in women’s doubles tennis having winning three doubles and three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.
Thinking ahead, Mirza also said that she was looking to play at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to have a chance at grabbing her first medal. She added:
“I have been there three times and last time we were unlucky to not win a medal. If I am able to put myself in that position to able to compete at the Olympics again for the fourth time in my life, I would be really honoured and privileged.”
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Mirza gave birth to her first child with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik in October 2018.
The commencement of the new season will hopefully see Mirza making a successful comeback to competitive tennis.
Meanwhile, in other Indian tennis news, Sumit Nagal has shared what Roger Federer told him at the end of their first meet.
Nagal, currently ranked 131 in the world, made headlines when he qualified and faced his first-round US Open match against current world no.3 and tennis legend, Roger Federer. Nagal lost the match but was the first Indian to win a set against Federer. Nagal recently shared what Federer told him at the end of the match:
“That day he didn’t (say) much. He wished me the best. I heard him say nice things about me in an interview and it was so nice of him. He also told my coach something, but I never asked him about it!”
Further, Federer has emerged as an inspiring figure to the new wave of Indian Tennis players. Ramkumar Ramanathan has named Federer as one of his idols growing up along with Mahesh Bhupati and Leander Paes. Ramanathan said he has always found Federer an inspiring figure apart from Paes and Bhupati.
Incidentally Ramanathan has taken a call to reduce the number of competitions he participates in to train harder.
He said:
“Next year, I need to take these small, small breaks of two-three weeks of training, then two-three weeks of tournament play. When you play [on] the ATP, you need this energy, this fire inside you. It will show up on the big points. Playing [fewer] events is my plan.”
Ramanathan bowed out of the pre-quarterfinals of the Australian Open wildcard playoffs meanwhile Sasi Kumar Mukund made it to the quarterfinals but lost to Chung Yun-seong.
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