India Tennis Ace Sania Mirza To Retire After This Season

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza announced her intention to retire from the sport after the current season. Mirza made the announcement after she and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok suffered an opening-round loss in the women's doubles event of the ongoing Australian Open on Wednesday. Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia defeated Mirza and Kichenok 6-4, 7-6. "There's a few [sic] reasons for it. It's not as simple as 'okay I'm not going to play'. I do feel my recovery is taking longer, I'm putting my 3-year-old son at risk by travelling so much with him, that's something I have to take into account. I think my body is wearing down. My knee was really hurting today and I'm not saying that's the reason we lost but I do think that it is taking time to recover as I'm getting older," said Mirza on Wednesday.

The former doubles number one has won six Grand Slam titles so far. She said she wants to play till the end of this season but "beyond" that it is going to be difficult. 

"Also for me to find that motivation everyday to come out. The energy is not the same anymore. There are more days than there used to be where I don't feel like doing that. I've always said that I will play until I enjoy that grind, the process which I'm not sure I'm enjoying as much anymore.

"Having said that, I still want to play the season because I'm enjoying it enough to play the year. I've worked very hard to come back, get fit, lose the weight and try to set a good example for mothers, new mothers to follow their dreams as much as they can. Beyond this season, I don't feel my body doing it," Mirza added.

(With ANI inputs)