A career-extending decision

SINGAPORE — Once regarded as the darling of Indian tennis, Sania Mirza’s transition from nose-ring-wearing teenage prodigy to Grand Slam champion was what many fans back home in India had expected of their former junior champion. A 17-year-old Mirza served notice of her prodigious talent by winning the 2003 Wimbledon girls’ doubles with partner Alisa Kleybanova, one of 10 junior singles and 12 doubles titles she won.

Despite banking over US$1 million (S$1.27 million) in winnings on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour after turning professional in 2003, the dizzying heights predicted for Mirza, now 27, proved elusive. Her sole WTA singles title came on home soil at the 2005 Hyderabad Open and she reached her career high of world No 27 two years later, the highest-ranked Indian female player to date. But her best finish in a major was the fourth round at the 2005 US Open, where she fell to Russia’s Maria Sharapova.

Plagued by injuries that required three surgeries — two on her knee and one on her wrist — Mirza decided last year to call time on her singles career.

While sceptics may have written her off, Mirza is enjoying a new lease of life as a doubles player.

“Yes, I do miss playing in the singles. It was one of the toughest calls I had to make because the call was to play singles for another year or year-and-a-half, and then (I could) get injured again,” said Mirza yesterday after the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore doubles draw at Marina Bay Sands. “I’ve had three surgeries; it was tough for me to continue doing both.”

But Mirza — who is married to Pakistani cricket star Shoaib Malik — insists there are no regrets, as she added: “I was in the top 100, top 50 in the world for about seven to eight years, so it’s not like I had anything to prove anymore. It was more about my body. It was a bit frustrating, but I’ve come to terms with it.

“I could have quit after the first surgery and taken the easier way out, but I didn’t, I came back three times, played the Challengers and came back.

“It was the right decision (to stick to doubles); I got to No 5 in the world and I’ve achieved a lot in doubles since then.

“It’s been pretty tough the past 10 to 12 years because it’s only been me (in Indian tennis). Every time I win or lose it’s a big deal, but I receive a lot of love as well and I try to convert it into positive energy.”

Since giving up on playing singles, she has won five WTA doubles titles in the 2013 season partnering Bethanie Mattek-Sands (2), Zheng Jie (1) and Cara Black (2), before winning her third mixed doubles major title at the 2014 US Open with Bruno Soares.

After wins in Portugal and Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this season, Mirza and Zimbabwe’s Black will compete in the WTA Finals after qualifying for the top eight. They have drawn Americans Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in their knock-out opener. This will be the duo’s last tournament together, with Mirza set to partner Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei next season.

“Obviously, you look for people who suit your game, and for me and Su-wei, we happen to have never played together somehow, even though we’ve known each other since we were 12,” said Mirza. “So we go a long way back and I’m looking forward to the partnership. I got to No 5 in the world and I hope I can get to No 1 one day and that’s the dream for everyone.”

Hsieh and China’s Peng Shuai are in Singapore to defend their WTA Finals title for their final outing as a pairing — a successful cross-Strait union that won 12 WTA titles, including Wimbledon last year and the French Open this year.

Said Hsieh, 28, of the upcoming partnership with the Indian star: “This is something my coach decided. I just focus on what happens on court … Sania is a good player and I’m very excited and looking forward to next year.

“This year has been very tough for me, as my preparations did not go well and my condition was very bad. It was really a year of ups and downs, my partner was under a lot of pressure because her partner was up and down, but I’m happy (Peng) supported me a lot. I hope to do well next year.”