Why does Sania Mirza continue with her retirement plan despite having just reached retirement age? Grand Slam Final? The same reason she delayed her retirement from 2022 when she suffered a season-ending injury: her desire to do everything on her own terms.
“I want people to ask me why I am retiring, not when. It is very important for me to do everything on my own terms. That’s how I lived my life, whether on or off the court,” she said in an interview with Sportzshala.
“There are many reasons why I stop, but yes, it is very important for me to come out of the game at the top … Today I can sit here right after the Grand Slam final and say that I want to leave. plays, and some people are like, “Are you out of your mind?” No, now I have other priorities, ”she added.
This became apparent when she decided not to retire at the end of 2022 as planned because Elbow injury ends season early. Any other player could take this as a sign in his last season, but not Sania. She trained again before going on stage and had a fitting ceremony when she reached the final of her last Grand Slam along with Indian partner Rohan Bopanna.
However, she is aware that it is this focus on training to be at her best that saps her motivation after more than two decades of playing tennis. “I really think it’s about time because I don’t have to force myself to go and do what I love so much,” she said.
“The amount of work I need to get those two hours on the court – and everyone is watching those two hours – but the amount of work I need to be there… I just don’t have it. I drive more. I spent four hours today and I just don’t have it in the long run. And that’s when I really realized when the days of not wanting to go and do it became more and more frequent,” she explained.
“I truly believe that in order to be the best version of yourself in everything you do, you need to enjoy it, and if you don’t enjoy the whole process, then I don’t think this is for you.” she said. added.
In true Sanya Mirza style, even this realization comes with a grain of salt. “I want to do something because I want to do it, not because I can do it or because someone tells me to. I can understand why this might be a problem for some people. But this is just my life and my way. that I see life.
Following the end of her playing career, Sania will enter a new role when she joins Royal Challengers Bangalore. as a mentor for the first Women’s Premier League due to start on March 4th.
The most striking emotion she feels as she nears the end of her playing career is gratitude. “I am very grateful for the path I have traveled, for how long it has lasted … sometimes I close my eyes and think, did it really last 20 years. Sometimes it seems to me that it was a very long time. I feel great… and so grateful for what I’ve been able to achieve.”
Source: www.espn.com
