An ode to the courageous persona of Sania Mirza

Surviving the rough and tumble of the ruthlessly competitive world of professional tennis is one thing and conquering them all with a rare disdain and staying ensconced at the pinnacle, quite another. On both counts, Sania Mirza stands out as a stellar example of what grit and determination can do to an overly obsessed and starry-eyed individual, even in the absence of a scientifically-evolved and professionally-run system, which was precisely the state-of-affairs (more so for young girls) in the country when she announced her arrival onto the big stage.

For a champion celebrity, who has been chastised and hounded by the media, mercilessly maligned by religious fundamentalists and whose name spelt controversy which she courted with patented regularity, and for no fault of hers, Sania has braved every obstacle that cropped up at each stage of her blossoming career.

Perhaps, a lesser mortal would have wilted under pressure and walked out lock, stock and barrel. But then, the Hyderabadi, who has ushered in a hitherto unheard of revolution with her magnificent conquests, has proved that she belongs to a different breed, altogether – a fighter to the core and the greatest survivor Indian tennis has seen (with due apologies to millions of fans, Leander Paes comes a close second).

Looking back she must be finding it rather amusing that the biggest gamble she took in the wake of her vulnerability to injuries has actually been paying handsome dividends, whereupon she has been hitting one jackpot after another. In a way, switching over to doubles and moving away from the more strenuous singles competitions on the circuit, remains her biggest career-shift fortune-changer. Rather uncharacteristically, perhaps pretty obviously, her critics (there is no dearth of this strange tribe) are lapping up the honours she is bringing along from across the seven seas, with her individual efforts and playing skills that she is richly endowed with. The transition has been smooth, tellingly effective and worth the effort.

She has weathered many a storm from fellow-players as she did when she was the scapegoat in the AITA and men squad fracas ahead of the London Olympics or when her richly deserved Khel Ratna ran into a controversy from unexpected quarters. It was ditto when she went into wedlock with a Pakistani cricketer. It needed guts and not Aces, drop-shots or her fiery forehand shots to overcome such barbs. That she could silence her detractors with patented style is a testimony to the inner combativeness that she seems to possess to stupendous levels, which have caught the detractors on the wrong foot, time and again.

Today, as she celebrates in what can be described as her most momentous season since turning a professional, there is no denying the fact that Sania Mirza has not just inspired thousands of next generation of players in India but she has also created a niche for herself and the country, which is the envy of the world tennis as far as doubles competitions go.

Ending the year as the world’s best woman doubles player is no mean achievement although some could raise doubts whether she would have scaled similar heights as a singles player. But then these are hypothetical ifs and buts, which do not even merit debates and discussions. It is good that she has been peaking with each outing. That she won a phenomenal ten titles this year demonstrates that she can think beyond Rio, although she has often stated that Olympics is a long way to go.

She is not short on inspirations if her quest is for longevity. All she has to do is look up to her partners at different phases of her career. Martina Navratilova, who describes Sania as an awesome talent, and Leander Paes come immediately to mind as both stand out as ageless wonders. Hingis is getting very close to this genre. The institution called Sania Mirza seems to be getting sturdier and larger-than-life.

By Sridhar K Penna