Queen Of Aces

She’s the sweetheart of Indian sports, and the trailblazer. She shut down critics who doubted her dreams, and then got them to cheer along every step. We catch up with Sania Mirza, unabashedly honest, on her home turf—Hyderabad.

- Meghna Menon

As she slips in and out of chic, pretty dresses at the shoot, exuding an infectious exuberance and charisma, one almost forgets that Sania Mirza is no ordinary 30-year-old. Behind that youthful demeanour lies a steadfast personality of India’s most successful female tennis player. Recipient of the Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. Brand ambassador of the state of Telangana. UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia. And one of the 100 most influential people in the world, according to Time magazine’s 2016 list.

For someone who’s nearing the 30s herself, I wonder what drives Sania every day and makes her a powerful force to reckon with. “I constantly strive towards making myself better at what I do. I believe that being the best version of yourself is what makes you a better player and a better person,” says Sania. It is perhaps living with this philosophy, ever since she joined the professional tennis circuit in 2003, that makes Sania the positive person that she is. So, is this upbeat outlook to whatever she is faced with a by-product of what they call a sportsman’s spirit? “Yes, it is! It is the drive to wake up, fight for and achieve your goals that constitutes the thrill of making it to another round of a game,” says Sania, who will be playing at the Qatar Open, the Dubai Duty Free Open and the Indian Wells tournament next.