Bangalore: Sania Mirza is planning to make a return to the game by year end following the birth of her baby. The 32-year-old had last played at the China Open in October, 2017 where she suffered a knee injury and was out of competition from early 2018.
In October, last year Sania had delivered a baby boy and the Indian ace said she now wants to return to the game and would start her training soon.
“Realistic possibility for comeback is by the end of the year,” she said in an interaction at a promotional event here, Saturday.
“My conditioning trainer is coming in the next 10 days. Now that I have lost weight, I do tennis specific training. I am 32 years old, I am not so young as a tennis player. But I would die if I did not try. Tennis is my life, it has given me everything. I still have it in me,” added the former World No.1 in doubles.
Sania said she looks up to German legend Steffi Graf, a winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, as she has achieved a lot even after marriage and having a kid.
“Steffi Graf is someone I look up to. I am still star struck whenever I see her. She is a great example because people say a woman cannot have it all, but she had it all,” Sania pointed out. “She is the greatest player. She married and had kids and achieved many things in life despite it.”
Replying to a query, Sania said tennis cannot compete with cricket in terms of popularity because a billion people prefer to watch cricket than tennis.
PTI