Indian tennis star Sania Mirza capped off her glorious Grand Slam career with a runners-up finish, alongside Rohan Bopanna in the Australian Open mixed doubles final on Friday. The he unseeded Indian duo went down 6-7(2) 2-6 to the Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Mataos in the final at the Rod Laver Arena. After Sania’s final Grand Slam match, veteran Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik, who is her husband, took to Twitter and shared a heartwarming post for the 36-year-old.
Malik congratulated his wife, Sania, on what has been an amazing career, adding that “you’re an inspiration for many”.
– You are the much needed hope for all the women in sports. Super proud of you for all you have achieved in your career. You’re an inspiration for many, keep going strong. Many congratulations on an unbelievable career… pic.twitter.com/N6ziDeUGmV
— Shoaib Malik (@realshoaibmalik) January 27, 2023
Sania, who earlier announced that the WTA event in Dubai next month will be her swansong, is India’s most accomplished woman tennis player, having won six Grand Slam title, including three mixed doubles trophies.
She had won the the mixed doubles titles at the 2009 Australian Open and the 2012 French Open with Mahesh Bhupathi and the 2014 US Open with Brazillian Bruno Soares.
The Rod Laver Arena has been a happy hunting ground for the Hyderabadi. She has a women’s doubles and mixed doubles title each and has finished runner up four times at the Australian Open.
“It started in 2005 when I played Serena Williams in the third round as an 18-year-old and that was scarily enough 18 years ago. I have had the privilege to come back here again and again, win some tournaments here and play some great finals amongst you all.
“Rod Laver Arena has really been special in my life and I coudn’t think of a better arena to finish my career at in a Grand Slam,” Sania said.
(With PTI Inputs)
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