Highlights:
- Indian tennis star Sania Mirza retired from tennis on Tuesday, and World No.1 Iga Swiatek paid tribute to her.
- Mirza played her final match in the Dubai Tennis Championship with Madison Keys, but the Russian pair of Kudermetova and Samsonova emerged victorious.
On Tuesday, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza concluded her illustrious career, and World No.1 Iga Swiatek honored her with a tribute.
Mirza, who ended her Grand Slam career at the Australian Open earlier this year, was partnered with Madison Keys in the Dubai Tennis Championship on Tuesday, taking on the Russian pairing of Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova.
Despite Mirza and Keys’ best efforts, the Russian pair proved too strong for them, and the Indian star went on to lose her final career match 4-6, 0-6.
The World No.1 Swiatek was the most recent to pay tribute to Mirza following her final career match. On Tuesday, the Polish star posted a simple thank you message to the Indian star.
“Thank you, @MirzaSania,” Swiatek tweeted.
Thank you @MirzaSania ??? https://t.co/ZGTv5qGFqw
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) February 21, 2023
Mahesh Bhupathi also wrote a special message for Mirza and wished her well in her retirement. He expressed his admiration for the Indian star.
Welcome to retirement @MirzaSania you outdid yourself time and time again both on and off the court …. Proud of you !! pic.twitter.com/xNzIykOIqH
— Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) February 21, 2023
After Sania Mirza announced her retirement from tennis on Tuesday, Jhulan Goswami also wrote a special message for her.
Ahead of her final match, Mirza had reflected on the role tennis played in her life, emphasizing that while it was a significant part, it did not define her entirely. As a young girl and a professional athlete, she adopted a mindset that did not fear losing, recognizing that setbacks were a natural part of the journey towards becoming a top athlete.
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Mirza also noted that some athletes become too defensive because they fear losing, and therefore, they play too safely. However, she believed that such an approach was counterproductive in the long run and that to succeed, one must embrace the challenge of taking risks and learning from losses.