In what was her last grand slam final, Sania Mirza had to be content with the runners-up trophy after she and her compatriot Rohan Bopanna succumbed to the Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos in the final of mixed doubles at the Australian Open.
Mirza and Bopanna started well, forcing the first set to tie-breaker, but blew apart in the final set, and lost the game 7-6 (2) and 6-2. Sania has already confirmed that Australian Open was going to be her last major, as she prepares for the next innings of her life.
After the match, Mirza reminisced about his glorious career and announced her decision to bid adieu to the game after playing a couple of more tournaments. “I’m still gonna play a couple more tournaments but the journey of my professional career started in Melbourne,” she says. “It started in Melbourne in 2005 when I played Serena Williams in the third round here as an 18-year-old.”
“I’ve had the privilege to come back here again and again and win some tournaments here and play some great finals amongst you all, and it’s Rod Laver Arena has really been special in my life. And I couldn’t think of a better arena to finish my career at a Grand Slam. So thank you so much for making me feel at home here,” she adds.
Apart from playing mixed-double with Bopanna, Mirza also featured in women’s doubles, teaming up with world No. 11 Anna Danilina. But their journey ended in the second round itself. Mirza’s last grand slam title came in 2016 at the same tournament when she and Martina Hingis swept off every opponent in the women’s doubles.
She will retire with six majors to her name, and will have a handful of opportunities to add to her tally of 43 WTA Doubles Titles. Mirza stopped playing singles in 2012 because of a recurring wrist injury.
“To win medals for my country has been my biggest honor and I feel truly humbled to have been able to stand up on the podium, knowing that the tri-colour had been raised high to be seen and respected by millions all over the world all because of something that I was privileged enough to achieve,” states Mirza in her retirement letter.
