Son Took First Tennis Class Today: Sania Mirza after Winning Outstanding Achievement IOTY 2022 Award

Tennis icon Sania Mirza got emotional as she recounted her journey while receiving the Outstanding Achievement CNN-News18 Indian of the Year (IOTY) 2022 Award on Wednesday.

A six-time Grand Slam winner, former doubles World No. 1 and the highest ranked Indian female singles player at number 27, Mirza, the inspirational global icon, has announced her retirement from a career spanning decades.

“Tennis will always remain in me,” she said, as she received the award from Anurag Thakur, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports. “Priorities change. I wanted to make a comeback after my baby, who’s four now. I was able to get to the top of the game. I think it’s time. It was tough decision. I have a few more months of tennis in me…It’s time to pass on that baton…”

“I started my journey in 2003. Thirty years of my life I have played tennis. It has made me who I am. I will always cherish it. There’s a time and place for everything…It’s time to be proud of the story that I have, the achievements, but it is time to move on,” she said, adding, “I will miss winning, walking on court, but that’s life…”

“I am nursing an elbow injury…Hopefully, I will play in Australia this year and then call it, she said.

Thakur said Mirza’s achievements are great, especially considering it was 20 years ago. He said, “Mirza started at five, till then [retirement] he will be five, he will also start playing.”

Mirza said she just got a video from her mother who is at home with her son, who went for his first tennis class today.

“That happened just today. He didn’t like it, he wanted to play cricket. I forced him. After the class in the video, he said, “Mumma, I had fun”.”

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