Ex-Pakistani skipper lauds Sania Mirza’s dedication
Waqar Younis, who used to be the captain of Pakistan, praised Indian tennis star Sania Mirza for her passion, persistence, and hard work as she ends her nearly 20-year professional tennis career.
The Indian tennis player has won the hearts of a lot of people all over the world. Over the past few years, Sania’s tennis success has made her popular not just in her home country, but also in Pakistan.
Since she said she was going to retire earlier this month, fans all over the world have been going through the same emotional ups and downs as the star.
Younis, a former cricket player, also took to Twitter to show his respect for Sania’s commitment to her job. He wrote, “What words come to mind when you think of Sania?”
“Passion, persistence, and hard work are what make me successful. Sania Mirza has had a great career, and we wish her the best in her second innings. #Legend #Tennis #Champion”
The 36-year-old athlete played her first Grand Slam tournament 18 years ago. She is in Australia for the last event of her career, the Australian Open.
During her tearful farewell speech earlier today, Sania couldn’t hold back her emotions and said, “I just want to start by saying that if I cry, these are happy tears and not sad tears, so that’s just a disclaimer.”
Sania also said that she had quit professional tennis, though she would still play in a few more tournaments. She ended her speech by thanking everyone for their support. “Thank you so much for all your help this week and really my whole life. It’s been really, really special, and I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without all of you.
“Thank you very much for everything, and thanks to Australia for making me feel at home.”
The Twitter account for the Australian Open also praised Sania for her hard work and success, calling her “a trailblazer for women in sports.” Thank you, Sania”
Sania said goodbye to tennis in a heartfelt post on Instagram on January 13. In the post, she talked about the ups and downs of her career and how proud and thankful she was for her success.
She also said that when she retired, she planned to spend more time with her son Izhaan.
“My son needs me more than ever now, and I can’t wait to live a little bit more quietly and calmly so I can spend more time with him than I have been able to do so far.”
From 2009 to 2016, Sania Mirza won three Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles. In 2015, she even became the best doubles player in the world for women.
