“She was initially put into an academy, she was just six years old” – Thus, with her father’s voice recalling Sania Mirza’s first steps into the world of tennis, begins the tribute video that one of her fans has made for her.
The video, called ‘Just Turned One’, is a thoughtfully woven compilation of photographs and video footage from many seminal moments in Sania’s career. In the background, Sania’s parents passionately recall their daughter’s longstanding affair with the game, the many trials that she had to undergo in order to assert herself in tennis and so on.
One of the more poignant moments in the video is Sania’s mother emotionally recalling her daughter’s fight with a career threatening injury. "She thought she would never play tennis", says Sania's mother, the emotion palpable in her voice.
The video, fittingly, ends with a visibly elated Sania, sharing the podium with Martina Hingis, and expressing her gratitude to all who have supported her, in the aftermath of being crowned World Number One in doubles.
