• Wion
  • /Sports
  • /Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza to retire at next month's Dubai Tennis Championships

Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza to retire at next month's Dubai Tennis Championships

Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza to retire at next month's Dubai Tennis Championships

Sania Mirza

Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza announced on Friday (January 6) that she will retire from professional tennis at Dubai Tennis Championships, a WTA 1000 event. The event is scheduled to start on February 19.Former doubles No.1 Mirza stated that initially, she thought of retiring at the end of last season. But because of an elbow injury, she was ruled out of the US Open.

Sania told wtatennis.com, "I was going to stop right after the WTA Finals, because we were going to make the WTA Finals, but I tore my tendon in my elbow right before the US Open so I had to pull out of everything."

She added, "And honestly, the person that I am, I like to do things on my own terms. So I don't want to be forced out by injury. So I've been training. The plan is to try and retire in Dubai during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships."

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"I'm 36, and honestly my body is beat, that is the main reason for it. And I really don't have the capacity in my mind to emotionally push that much anymore. I turned pro in 2003. Priorities change, and now my priority is not to push my body to the limit every single day," Sania said in a recent interview with "Curly Tales Middle East".

Sania started playing professional tennis in 2003. The Indian tennis star won the 2003 Wimbledon Championships girls' doubles title, partnering with Alisa Kleybanova.

Sania said she will hang up her boots at the Dubai meet but before that, the six-time Grand Slam winner in doubles will play her final Major at the Australian Open later this month.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.