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India's most accomplished female tennis player, Sania Mirza, has penned down a heartwarming message on social media, bidding goodbye to Wimbledon. Mirza's final campaign at the grasscourt Major ended on Wednesday with a semifinal defeat in mixed doubles, where she was partnering Croatia's Mate Pavic.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the former women's doubles World No. 1 wrote that she considers it an honor to have participated at the Championships for 20 years. She went on to add how grateful she is to have chosen a profession in sports. The "tears and the joy" have made her realize that the work is "all worth it in the end."
"Sport takes so much out of you ..Mentally , physically, emotionally.. The wins and the losses ..hours of hard work and sleepless nights after tough losses," the Indian ace wrote. "But it gives you soooo much in return that not many other 'jobs' can give you and for which i am forever grateful for the tears and the joy ,the fight and the struggle.. the work we put in is all worth it in the end ..
"It wasn't meant to be this time @wimbledon but you have been nothing but spectacular it has been an honor to play here and win here over the last 20 years ..i will miss you until we meet again....," she added.
The 35-year-old had already announced her retirement plans after a mixed doubles quarter-final loss at the Australian Open 2022 in partnership with American Rajeev Ram.
Mirza stated that she would hang up her racquet at the conclusion of the 2022 season since her body was "worn down" and she lacked the motivation and endurance to do the daily grind.
"There's a bunch of reasons for it. I do feel my recovery is taking longer and considering my son is three years old, I do feel I am putting him at risk by travelling so much with him. Unfortunately, the pandemic is making us take a certain decisions for the well-being of ourselves and family," Mirza said at a post-match press conference during Australia Open 2022.
Sixth-seeded Mirza and Pavic led by a set in their mixed doubles semi-final match at Wimbledon. But ultimately, the Indo-Croatian pair could not hold off a late surge from defending champions Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk, who won 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Despite the defeat, Mirza can hold her head high. She has had a decorated Wimbledon career that included a girls' doubles crown in 2003 in tandem with Russia's Alisa Kleybanova. Her six Major titles at the senior level include the prestigious Wimbledon women's doubles trophy in 2015, which she lifted alongside Martina Hingis.
Soon after her heart-melting message, the Wimbledon Twitter handle also congratulated Sania Mirza for a blossoming tennis career.
Achievements of Sania Mirza at Grand Slam events
India's pride and pathbreaker Sania Mirza peaked at World No. 27 in a brief singles career that was cut short by a series of injuries. But it was in doubles that she has had her greatest success, surging to three women's doubles and three mixed doubles titles.
At both the Australian Open and the US Open, she went on to lift both the women's doubles and mixed doubles trophies. At the French Open, she has collected the mixed doubles title while at Wimbledon, her only win at the senior level remains the aforementioned women's doubles triumph with Hingis.
