Set to retire in February 2023, India's Sania Mirza shares emotional note ahead of her final Grand Slam

One of India's greatest Tennis players, Sania Mirza earlier announced that she would be retiring after next month's Dubai Open. On Friday, a couple of days before the start of the Australian Open 2023 - a tournament where Sania made her Grand Slamdebut back in 2005, she shared an emotional note on her social media handles where she talked about her journey. While Sania will feature in the doubles category alongside Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina at AO this time, she is likely to pair with Rohan Bopanna in the mixed doubles at the first Slam of the year.

Having won her first Grand Slam at the Hardcourt event Down Under with Mahesh Bhupati in the mixed doubles category in 2009, Mirza won her last major at the same tournament seven years ago alongside veteran Martina Hingis in the doubles category.

Although she had planned to retire last year on the tour, an unlikely injury just ahead of the US Open forced her to change her plans. In the heartful post she penned down, Sania wrote about her journey from beginning as a 6-year-old in Hyderabad to making it to the biggest stage in Tennis world. Taking pride in everything that she has achieved in two decades of her professional career, Sania wrote that she is grateful for the memories she created.

She even revealed that her countrymen and supporters standing by her side during her wins was possibly the proudest moment for her throughout her career.

Six-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza also reached the final of Charleston Open WTA 500 and Strasbourg Open in 2022.