Sania Mirza, an Indian tennis star, lost in the first round of the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, ending her remarkable 20-year career.
In the women's doubles tie, the 36-year-old Indian legend and her American partner Madison Keys lost in straight sets. In a one-hour match, the duo lost 4-6 0-6 to the Russian duo of Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova.
Sania Mirza, one of India's most successful tennis players, announced her retirement from singles tennis in 2013 due to recurring injuries. However, she continued to play in doubles tournaments and achieved significant success in the years that followed.
In 2016, Sania Mirza won the Australian Open women's doubles title with her partner, Martina Hingis, and went on to win the French Open and Wimbledon women's doubles titles that same year, earning them the No. 1 ranking in women's doubles. They also won the 2016 WTA Finals in doubles.
In 2017, Sania Mirza won her first Grand Slam title in mixed doubles at the Australian Open, partnering with Ivan Dodig. She continued to play at the highest level in doubles for several more years, but in 2020, she announced that she was taking a break from tennis to focus on her family.
She will be remembered as one of India's greatest tennis players and a true inspiration to many aspiring athletes.
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