“I’ve been playing since I was 6; I am 36 today. That’s 30 years of playing tennis!
When I had a baby, people thought I was mad. They asked, ‘You’re having a baby at the peak of your career?’ But, I knew the time was right. I’ve always believed that my life has to be according to me, whether that's good or bad, whether I’m making right decisions or wrong, they need to be taken by me. Back then, I knew that I had still some tennis left in me. And I waited, I played, and I made the final of the Australian Open.
After that, I don't know how to explain it, but I just knew that this was the time. Everybody questioned, ‘You still have it in you! Why are you doing this?’ But that’s the thing-I always thought, ‘I’d rather retire when people ask me why rather than when’ - and that’s exactly what I did. I don’t know if it was the right decision or wrong, all I know is I’m living my life on my terms, and that’s enough!”
From her humble beginnings in Hyderabad to becoming a global icon, and a world no.1 player, Sania has redefined the game and shattered every barrier along the way. She is a true symbol of empowerment and resilience.
The day 18-year-old Sania created history by entering the grand slam, she became a beacon of hope for women everywhere. Not just the women, but with her unwavering determination and unparalleled talent, she has become a role model for aspiring athletes around the world.
In our latest episode, we talked to Sania about her Tennis journey, her experiences along the way, what it means to be a woman on the ground, motherhood, and retirement. Join us as we celebrate the incredible journey Sania has been on and figure out, ‘How the Hell Did She Do It?’ Tune in now!
#saniamirza #tennis #humansofbombay
We talked about:
Finding purpose after retirement
Role of parents
Early days with Tennis
Dealing with failure
First selection call
Tennis journey over the years, the highs and lows
Managing money
Marriage and motherhood
Mom Guilt
Parenting philosophy
Things we couldn't find on Google
Advice to young girls
Time Stamps
00:00 - Precap
00:43 - First guest in the new studio
01:22 - “When I retire, I’d rather be asked why and rather than when”
01:49 - Having a baby at the peak of the career
04:50 - Not able to find motivation
07:19 - Finding purpose after retirement
09:05 - The role of parents
12:00 - Tennis: a calling?
16:00 - Importance of sports in the curriculum
17:24 - Dealing with failure as a kid
19:00 - Athletes don’t get mental health days…
21:47 - Being overwhelmed
25:25 - First big call!
26:53 - It takes a village…
28:07 - 1st ever Grand slam at 18!
30:26 - Life-turning moment
30:45 - Managing the finances
34:11 - Decision to get married
36:18 - Grappling with Mom guilt
42:03 - Parenting Izhaan
44:32 - Things we couldn’t find on Google
47:08 - How can women carve out their own path?
Links:
Humans of Bombay
Instagram: / officialhum. .
YT Shorts: / @humansofbombayuncovered
LinkedIn: / huma. .
Sania Mirza
Instagram: / mirzasaniar
Twitter: / mirzasania
Facebook: / sania.mirza
Karishma Mehta
Instagram: / karimehta05
LinkedIn: / karishma-. .
About Humans of Bombay -
Humans of Bombay is a movement that started 8 years ago. We believe that every person has a story to tell and we want to help them tell these stories. In these years we’ve published stories across genres - stories of love, hope, faith and courage. And through our storytelling, we’ve built an engaged community of over 4.9M!
Our idea is simple - to strike a chord with our community and catalogue the beat of humanity, one story at a time.