Dubai: Sania Mirza’s road to the top spot has been a bumpy one. She seemed to be at the prime of her game in August 2007 after reaching a career-high No. 27.
However, then followed a bizarre 2008 and the 28-year-old was plagued by wrist injuries that resulted in her giving up a thriving singles career that eventually led to her stopping her singles in 2013 and focusing solely on the doubles circuit.
And then, time and again, the Indian tennis star has been associated with her ‘frail emotional make-up’ to aspire for the best in her sport.
Last week, all that was put to rest, at last.
Needing just a win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner Martina Hingis, Mirza showed what she is really made of as she became the first Indian women’s player to be ranked number one in the doubles.
The WTA Family Circle Cup was the third straight doubles crown following her success at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and the Miami Open the following week, thus extending her perfect record with the former world number one from Switzerland to 14 matches.
And the achievement could not have come on a better day — on the fifth anniversary of her marriage with former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malek.
Mirza’s 470 points from her Charleston triumph took her tally to 7,965 as she jumped past the Italian duo of Sara Errani (7,640) and Roberta Vinci (7,640) and proudly gaze at her achievements from atop the rankings table. It was a proud moment to treasure for the Indian player, as she joined the likes of Leander Paes and her mentor Mahesh Bhupathi.
Mirza’s road to the top spot has been a bumpy one indeed.
Worst year
By far, 2008 was the worst in a fledgling career as Mirza battled wrist injuries that resulted in ruining her future in singles. At that time, Mirza had struggled to “even hold a fork in her right hand”. That struggle became a nightmare as eventually Mirza had to take the hard decision of making adjustments and ultimately focusing on the doubles circuit.
Perhaps, one could get a small insight into the real Sania Mirza in the player’s upcoming autobiography, Against All Odds, where one can surely tell of the inner turmoils that accompanied her while being a daughter-in-law of Pakistan to having a ‘fatwa’ issued for her tennis kit and to be even let down by her own countrymen.
But Mirza ploughed on, regardless of the obstacles on her path. The Hyderabadi won her third Grand Slam at the US Open mixed doubles with Brazilian Bruno Soares, an Asian Games gold in the mixed doubles with Saketh Myneni in Incheon, South Korea followed by the year-ending WTA title — often called the fifth Grand Slam of the year — with Cara Black.
However, at the start of this year Mirza decided to partner Su-Wei Hsieh, and very soon realised they were going to achieve very little. That is when Martina Hingis — whom she defeated once in the singles — stepped in as her doubles partner. And since then, it has been a smooth run indeed.
Being from the same state, Mirza is offered referred in the same breath as Saina Nehwal. But it is the tennis star who is seen to be creating more noise than the suave and highly talented Nehwal by certain sections of the media.
On occasions, Mirza’s patriotism towards India has been questioned, and there have been numerous incidents where the tennis ace has been at the receiving end of many questions posed.
But she’s refused to be lame or present excuses or to just give in.
On the contrary, the spirit that Mirza possesses has given her the extra impetus to fight on and come out guns blazing, while making herself known loud and clear, and in the bargain, becoming one of India’s best-ever female sportswomen.
The general perception is far from reality as she has worked hard and toiled to reach the pinnacle that she currently occupies. Women’s tennis has got an unheard of boost in India as an offshoot.
Young girls have started dreaming, and Mirza has been their role model and inspiration, in a country where recognition for the fairer sex has been miserly and scarce at best.
Not many biopics have been made on women athletes, barring the recent one on five-time world amateur boxing champion Mary Kom [portrayed by Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra].
Mirza’s story could well set up a good, juicy script. Any takers?
