The stage was set for a fairytale ending for Sania Mirza’s Grand Slam profession. Having entered the Australian Open as an unseeded pair alongside Rohan Bopanna, in what was termed because the ‘Final Dance’, the Indian pair fought their manner via to the ultimate, however did not have their palms on the elusive combined doubles trophy as they misplaced 6-7(2) 2-6 to Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Mataos within the summit conflict at Rod Laver Enviornment on Friday. However greater than the loss, it was the goodbye that left Sania teary-eyed throughout her emotional farewell speech after the match.
If all had gone in line with what she had deliberate final 12 months on the Melbourne Park, Sania ought to have been sitting at house watching the ultimate. However an damage in August had modified her plan earlier than she introduced earlier this month that she would finish her profession on the WTA 1000 Dubai occasion in February making the 2023 Australian Open her remaining Grand Slam occasion.
And it some ways, it does appear to be essentially the most becoming venue for Sania to say goodbye to her spectacular Grand Slam profession. It was on the Melbourne Park that Sania had begun her main profession, in opposition to the legendary Serena Williams, in 2005. And it was on the Rod Laver Enviornment, 4 years later, the place she gained her first Grand Slam trophy, alongside Mahesh Bhupathi.
“If I cry, these are completely satisfied tears. I do not need to take away the second from Matos-Stefani who’ve deserved this. I am nonetheless going to play a pair extra tournaments however my profession began in Melbourne in 2005 once I performed Serena as an 18-year-old. I’ve had the privilege of coming again right here time and again and win tournaments right here and play some nice finals right here. Rod Laver Enviornment has been actually particular life. I could not consider a greater enviornment to complete my final Grand Slam,” stated Sania, who completed her profession with six majors, which incorporates three ladies’s doubles and as many combined doubles trophies.
“Like Rohan stated, he was my first ever combined doubles companion once I was 14 and we gained the nationals. It wasn’t a similar enviornment like this one. However that was 22 years in the past. And I could not consider a greater companion, he’s certainly one of my greatest buddies and greatest companion to complete my profession with. Clearly we could not recover from the road however there is no such thing as a higher individual for me to complete my Grand Slam profession with. Thanks, Rohan,” she added.
Sania will play her remaining WTA occasion in Dubai Championships which can start from February 19 onwards.