I hope I can go better than the top 25: Sania Mirza

In the 10 WTA tournaments Sania Mirza has competed so far this season, she has reached two finals and four semis. Both those title shots—at Charleston and Strasbourg—have come in the last two months on clay partnering Czech Lucie Hradecka, sandwiched by the Italian Open.

PREMIUM

The solid run has propelled the former doubles world No 1 back into the top 25 in the latest WTA rankings for the first time since May 2018, and after her return from maternity break in 2020 (she’d fallen outside the top 250 then, but used her protected ranking of No 9 to enter tournaments). Sania has increasingly felt good about her game, fitness and, as she says in this interview from Paris, is enjoying the grind more in a season which she’d said would be her last with a “beat” body.

For now, though, the 35-year-old six-time Grand Slam doubles champion is happy to head into the French Open—she will partner 37-year-olds Hradecka (doubles) and Croatian Ivan Dodig (mixed)—riding the recent momentum.

Excerpts:

You've entered two finals and a semi in the last month-and-a-half. What is working in your partnership with Lucie?

It’s been a good couple of months in all the tournaments that Lucie and I have played together. We’ve known each other for a long time, but more important we’re using our experience well. We’ve both been in these positions a lot of times, having won Slams and being in very big matches for a very long time. So, we both feel we have the ability to bring the best out of each other. We get along great on and off the court, and that’s probably what is working well.

You came close to winning both finals, losing the super tiebreak. Do such defeats pinch more, especially since it would've given you the season’s first title?

Losing every match pinches, especially if it’s that close. But with this super tiebreak format (first to 10 points after two sets), you have to accept that. We’ve won a lot of close matches too that way, so if you’re taking such wins you’ve got to take the defeats too. At the end of the day, we’ve played five tournaments together this year and made three semis and two finals. Obviously, we want to win the tournament and it does hurt when you come that close. But you take the positives from that match and that week and keep moving forward.

Personally, what would you attribute this recent solid run to: more rhythm in your game, improved fitness, a more relaxed mind or a mix of it all?

I definitely feel it’s been a mix of it all. I’ve been struggling with the knee injury; had to pull out of (WTA) Madrid (Open) because of that. I tried to fix it, did rehab back home with my fitness trainer and physios. The team was in full force in trying to put everything together and get me back into one piece. I’ve been playing well since I’ve come back. But this is actually the first time that I’m playing a full year on the tour, because after I came back (from maternity break) in 2020, the pandemic happened. So I didn’t really play a full-blown year. And I do believe I belong at this level. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be competing. So I feel it’s a mix of working hard, enjoying my tennis and enjoying the process a little bit more. Being healthy helps as well, and having Izhaan around me is also great.

The results have also got you back in the top 25 rankings. That must still feel good in your comeback journey, isn't it?

I’ve always said since I was young that if you do the right things and win tennis matches, you really don’t have to worry about rankings. I had the special ranking (No. 9) for 12 tournaments which I could use after the maternity leave and I didn’t even use it all. I’ve been fortunate enough to make that comeback and return to that top bracket of women’s tennis yet again. So yes, I feel really grateful I’m here again, and hope I can go better than the top 25.

How much does this upward swing in results and rankings strengthen your belief that you can touch your pre-break peak level again?

I don’t really look at tennis like that. Tennis is ever-evolving and so are you as a player. There are some things that I do better today than I did when I was younger and vice-versa. For example, my body was much better then. So I don’t really look at it like pre-maternity level or anything. I believe I have the ability to raise my level and play well in the big moments and the big tournaments, which is what I’ve been able to do and which is why I’m back in the top 25. Lucie and I have found that rhythm with each other and hopefully we can keep continuing.

Does it also make you re-evaluate your goals for this season and beyond?

Not really. My goals are something I keep close to myself just because there is so much hullabaloo about goals and where you want to be and what you want to do. But I do have a goal set in my head and I do feel like I’m in the right direction. One of my main goals though is to try and stay as healthy as possible.

Feeling upbeat for the French Open?

We’re looking forward to building on what we have done. But we’re in a new tournament and have to start again. Lucie also keeps having some niggles here and there. We’re both not, let’s say, in the younger side of things in tennis (smiles). But we’re both trying and hopefully we can keep the momentum going. If not, we go to the grass and try again. And with Dodig, the last time we played here we lost in the final (in 2016), so we thought let's give it a shot again.

Experience unrestricted digital access with HT Premium

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.