'I don't want to be forced out by injury': Sania Mirza confirms tennis retirement after WTA 1000 event in Dubai

Indian tennis player Sania Mirza will officially retire after the WTA 1000 event in Dubai in the latter half of February 2023. "I was going to stop right after the WTA Finals because we were going to make the WTA Finals, but I tore my tendon in my elbow right before US Open so I had to pull out of everything," Sania told wtatennis.com.

Sania, 36, added that she likes doing things on her own terms and therefore doesn't want to be forced out by her injury. "And honestly, the person that I am, I like to do things on my own terms. So, I don't want to be forced out by injury. So, I've been training," she said.

Sania had suffered a calf injury which kept her out of the court. As per the former doubles no.1, the injury doesn't seem to resurface. "The plan is to try and retire in Dubai during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships," she said.

Next in the game, Sania will be seen in the Australian Open along with her Kazakhstan partner Anna Danilina.
Her last professional event, the Dubai Tennis Championships, will kick off on February 19.

Last year, Sania was ruled out of the US Open. She planned to draw curtains on her tennis career at the end of the season but an elbow injury delayed her plans.

Sania has been living in Dubai for more than 10 years after marrying former Pakistan cricket team skipper Shoaib Malik. She will bid adieu to the sport at her home base.

Awards

Sania Mirza has won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open women's doubles crown once each. She has also won one title each in the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open mixed doubles.

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