FARE WELL, SANIA

CHENNAI: Less than two months into the New Year, Indian women’s tennis fraternity is feeling utterly bereft with the retirement of its lone lodestar, Sania Mirza.

Tributes, as they always do when a giant of any profession takes a final curtain call, have engulfed Sania but far from providing solace, they serve as a grim reminder of the crying need for replenishment.

With no promising heiress on the horizon ready to snatch the baton, or should we say racquet, from her worn-out hands, the pain inflicted by her graceful exit feels even more acute. The women’s landscape for the sport that she adorned with veritable elan and panache in India is staring into vast swathes of uncertainty and doubt. Sania’s career exemplified the hardship a top-drawer athlete has to confront, particularly in a land where values are steeped in tradition and conservatism, and she fought many a spirited off-the-court battle in her ascent to the summit of women’s doubles. Dealing with excruciating injuries and gut-wrenching defeats is inextricably linked with any sportsperson’s career, but what set Sania apart from her peers was how she handled avoidable controversies with equanimity and poise. Not once in her nearly two-decade long career studded with accolades and silverware did she even remotely contemplate quitting a vocation that she had such a natural aptitude for in the face of unrelenting storms brewing all too frequently. She blithely turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to those vested interests intent on slinging truckloads of mud at her and steadfastly refused to take the bait of getting drawn into a slanging match with her detractors.

She did, on rare occasions, however, put her foot down and stuck to her guns when she believed the cause she was crusading against called for stern action. In addition to devising strategy to outdo her on-court opponents, which is what her profession demanded and earned her livelihood, and contending with career-threatening injuries, Sania’s mind was pre-occupied with warding off contentious issues ranging from her choice of attire to the nationality of her spouse. At one stage, her patriotic credentials were called into question and her actions and words were viewed with suspicion. Credit is due in no small part to her unflagging determination that enabled her to surmount formidable obstacles that would have merrily feasted on lesser mortals.

With there being no end in sight to the mania for sporting biopics in India, we need not be surprised if a movie is made on Sania depicting the trials and tribulations that went hand in hand with a staggering list of accomplishments that brought laurels to the country. And blessed with a beauteous appearance, who better than Sania herself to portray that role. That would be another ‘ace’ up her sleeve post-retirement and maybe even a possible foray into the glitzy world of movies.

A DIFFERENT BALL GAME BECKONS

It turns out Sania Mirza can’t be kept out of the limelight for too long. Barely a few days after her retirement, the tennis ace will be donning the role of a mentor at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) beginning on March 4. Though tennis is far removed from cricket, the RCB management believes bringing someone of Mirza’s stature on board, would greatly benefit its young team. The 36-year-old had recently brought the curtain down on a fulfilling two-decade tennis career.

“The pioneer in Indian sports for women, a youth icon, someone who has played Bold and broken barriers throughout her career, and a champion on and off the field. We are proud to welcome Sania Mirza as the mentor of the RCB women’s cricket team,” tweeted RCB on the day of her appointment.

The RCB management certainly made heads turn and eyebrows raise pulling off this sensational ‘coup’ just a few days before the league begins and it remains to be seen how successful Mirza’s second innings will be. Mirza may not have played the Gentleman’s game, but through her marriage to Shoaib Malik, a former Pakistan captain, her cricketing expertise might not be something to be scoffed at.

Letter from a doting fatherabout a gifted daughter

It is hard to believe but it has been 30 years since Sania picked up a tennis racket for the first time in her life.

Of course, she was gifted with phenomenal talent and it did not take me long to understand this. I have only played club level tennis and some state ranking tournaments in my younger days but have watched and followed the game meticulously and analytically since I was a schoolboy.

Sania was destined to earn laurels and fame in a sport that she adored. Many famed coaches on the Tour have told me privately that just as God had gifted Sania with abundant talent in tennis, he had also gifted me with the power of observation and understanding of the game to nurture her tennis talent and temperament.

God had also endowed my wife with very special skills that absolutely complemented mine at building a professional career in sport for our daughter.

Tennis is a game that is won or lost in the head and mental strength is of paramount importance.

For years, people have talked about Sania’s unflappable temperament under pressure, her fearlessness and how she has the capacity to come up with brilliance when facing difficult situations during matches.

I believe that comes from the confidence which we built in her when she was a child that, as parents, we would always be supportive of her and that winning and losing were all part of the game.

While Sania was developing as a tennis player, I had the good fortune of working in tandem with some of the world’s renowned coaches and that gave me the confidence to coach Sania over the last decade and more.

I have worked alongside Tony Roche (while he was simultaneously coaching Roger Federer), (Late) Bob Brett (who coached Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic among others) and Sven Groeneveld (who coached Maria Sharapova).

They all added to Sania’s game and I learnt the finer points and nuances of tennis from these illustrious coaches.

As we look back at the three decades since Sania picked up the racket as a six-year-old, we have a feeling of great satisfaction and pride at a job well done.

We are proud to have given India not only a tennis player, who achieved stupendous success on the international stage for two decades but also a role model, who has given millions of young girls and even boys the belief that nothing is impossible to achieve in any field as long as one has the dream, the faith and the willingness to work hard.

(A tribute penned by Imran Mirza, father of Sania, on her retirement)