MORE THAN A SENSATION Sania Mirza

SHE WAS ONLY SIXTEEN WHEN SHE FLAGGED THE WIMBLEDON JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP AND BECAME THE FIRST INDIAN TENNIS PLAYER TO EVER ACHIEVE SO. OVER THE YEARS, SHE’S BEEN HONOURED WITH TITLES LIKE THE PADMA SHRI, RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA, ARJUNA AWARD AND MANY MORE ON THE LAWN. SHE’S A DREAMER, A GO-GETTER AND A HEART-WARMINGLY HUMBLE. GLOBALSPA’S COVER STAR SANIA MIRZA JOINS US IN QUARANTINE FOR A BUZZWORTHY CONVERSATION CIRCLING LOCKDOWN, RECONNECTING WITH HOBBIES, FUTURE ASPIRATIONS, AND OF COURSE TENNIS!

-  Parineeta Sethi

Humor. Courage. Grace. These three virtues self-explain one of the biggest names in the world of tennis. Maestro on the lawn for over two decades now, Sania Mirza didn’t have it all planned out from the start, but if everything happens for a reason, no one knows it better than Sania herself. “My journey started when I was only six years old. Like any other girl doing things, I used to play tennis, I used to skate, I used to swim and I happened to be a little bit better at tennis than the other things.” Her love for tennis soon sprung into passion and that’s how she decided to flourish, “My parents pushed me at a young age but they never really thought that I was going to become a professional. They wanted their child to play sports and hence tennis was one of the sports that I was playing and that’s how it sort of came along.”

Strung together like fate, Sania realised that her destiny was tennis. It has taken many years and even today for her dreams to see light is a tale of stirring determination, motivation, and faith. In a hearty conversation, Sania reveals more...

You have been awarded many awards and records, so tell us even after all these years, how do you manage the pressure that comes along with high expectations?