Sania Mirza CRYING: India Tennis legend Sania Mirza was in tears after her final Grand Slam event appearance on Friday (January 27). In her final Grand Slam competition at Australian Open 2023, the Indian finished as a runner-up. Mirza said earlier this month that the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February will mark the conclusion of her professional tennis career. Follow LIVE updates about AO 2023 with InsideSport.IN
“If I cry, these are happy tears,” Sania said during her on-court speech at Rod Laver Arena.
“I’m still going to play a couple more tournaments but my career started in Melbourne in 2005 when I played Serena as an 18yo. RLA has been really special life. I couldn’t think of a better arena to finish my last Grand Slam,” she added.
“We love you, Sania,” wrote AO’s official account while sharing the video.
“My professional career started in Melbourne… I couldn’t think of a better arena to finish my [Grand Slam] career at.”
We love you, Sania ❤️@MirzaSania • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/E0dNogh1d0
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2023
Sania Mirza CRYING: WATCH India Tennis legend Sania in TEARS, as she takes emotional FINAL bow from her Grand Slam career at Australian Open 2023, CHECK out her full on-court speech
To win the Grand Slam for the first time, the Brazilian duo of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos defeated Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna of India. Mirza was playing in the last Grand Slam match of her illustrious career.
A trailblazer for women in sport 🇮🇳🎾
Thank you, Sania ❤️@MirzaSania • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/hVArmoOhmV
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2023
Indians were defeated by Stefani and Matos 7-6(2), 6-2 in 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Mirza, who spent 91 weeks as WTA Doubles World No.1, showed great fight along with Bopana but it wasn’t enough to stop the Brazilian pair.
Meanwhile, Stefani’s first Grand Slam victory takes her outstanding recovery from injury to entirely new levels. During the women’s doubles semifinal of the 2021 US Open, Stefani suffered an ACL tear, forcing her to miss almost a full year of touring.
Since returning to the tour, Stefani has gone 7-0 in mixed doubles and is currently 18-3 in women’s doubles.
