India's tennis star Sania Mirza recently shared a touching social media post detailing her journey into motherhood and the subsequent struggle to return to the highest level of professional tennis after her hiatus.
In her post, Mirza encouraged her followers to watch ‘Being Serena,’ drawing parallels between her own experience and Serena Williams' path as a mother-athlete. She candidly revealed that gaining about 23kg during pregnancy left her questioning if she would ever be fit enough to play professionally again.
Sania described her recovery process, which started with a strict nutritional plan and evolved into a demanding physical training regime. These efforts paid off when she lost 26kg, paving the way for her return to the game she loves.
The Indian star achieved a remarkable comeback that seemed nearly impossible to many. After a two-year absence from the game, she returned under immense scrutiny, but quickly answered the skeptics by capturing the Hobart International doubles title with Nadiia Kichenok, proving she still had her world-class form.
Touching upon her success in Australia, Sania mentioned that the victory served as a powerful validation of her hard work and her ability to compete among the best once more.
Winning the title in Hobart after such a long break was a surreal moment for Sania. She expressed a deep sense of pride in her own resilience and the discipline she maintained during her grueling training to reach the top level again.
Married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik since 2010, Sania is a mother to one son. A former world No. 1 in doubles, she boasts six Grand Slam titles. While she stepped away from singles competition in 2013, she remains the highest-ranked Indian woman in WTA history.