Australia Open 2023: Sania bids adieu to her 18 years’ long career with happy tears

Australian Open 2023: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza concluded her Grand Slam career on Friday. Sania and her Indian partner Rohan Bopanna lost to Brazilian pair Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos in the mixed doubles final at Melbourne Park. Sania and Bopanna were defeated by Stefani and Matos in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-2. The Brazilian pair were playing their first Grand Slam final.

Sania broke down in her last Grand Slam match

Sania won her first major title in 2009 at Melbourne Park by pairing with Mahesh Bhupathi. she ended her illustrious Grand Slam career at Melbourne Park itself. Seven years later in 2016, Sania teamed up with Swiss star Martina Hingis and won the women’s doubles title as the top seed.

Sania won four more Grand Slam titles outside Australia. she won Wimbledon and US Open titles in 2015 with Hingis. She won the French Open title in 2012 with Bhupathi and the US Open title in 2014 with Bruno Soares.

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The emotional speech 

Sania said, “My professional career started in Melbourne in 2005 when I played Serena Williams in the third round as an 18-year-old player.” That was 18 years ago, she said. I had the opportunity to come here again and again and play and win a few titles. This time we could not win in the final but there was no better place to end my Grand Slam career.

Sania also said, I never thought that I would play a Grand Slam final in front of my child but it is a very special occasion for me that my four-year-old son and my parents and Rohan’s wife are here. Bopanna was eyeing his second mixed doubles title after the 2017 French Open title but heaped praise on Sania after she finished runner-up.

Bopanna said, playing with Sania was special. We formed our first mixed doubles pair when she was 14 and we won the title. He said, today we played our last match at Rod Laver Arena. Unfortunately, we didn’t win the title but thanks to Sania for serving Indian tennis and motivating each other. Sania had announced earlier this month that she would retire from professional tennis after the Dubai Tennis Championships starting on February 19.