Sania Mirza to Retire from Professional Tennis

January 7, 2023

India’s former doubles World No. 1 champion, Sania Mirza, has announced that she will retire from professional tennis in February at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai. The 36-year-old has had a successful career, winning six Grand Slam doubles titles and becoming the first Indian to win a WTA singles title when she won the Hyderabad event in 2005. Mirza reached a career-high ranking of world number 27 and is regarded as her country’s greatest women’s tennis player.

Earlier Retirement Plans

Mirza had originally planned to retire at the end of the 2022 season, but an elbow injury in August forced her to miss the US Open and led to her deciding to bring forward her retirement plans. “I really don’t have the capacity in my mind to emotionally push that much anymore,” Mirza said in an interview with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). “I turned pro in 2003…Priorities change, and now my priority is not to push my body to the limit every single day.”

Injuries and Final Major Appearance

Injuries have plagued Mirza in recent years, including a lingering calf injury. She will make her final appearance at a Grand Slam event in January at the Australian Open, where she will play in the women’s doubles alongside Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina. Mirza won the women’s doubles title at the Australian Open in 2016.

After Retirement

After retiring from professional tennis, Mirza will focus on her academics in Dubai, where she has lived with her husband, former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik, for over a decade.

Mixed Doubles Success

In addition to her success in women’s doubles, Mirza has also had a successful career in mixed doubles. She won her first mixed doubles title at the Australian Open in 2009, partnering with Mahesh Bhupathi. The pair earned a second victory at the 2012 French Open. Mirza’s third mixed doubles title came at the 2014 US Open, where she partnered with Brazilian player Bruno Soares. In 2015, she partnered with Swiss legend Martina Hingis and won three back-to-back Grand Slam doubles titles.

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