Shoaib Malik pens proud note for Sania Mirza following her final appearance in Grand Slams

India’s tennis icon Sania Mirza bid adieu to his career at Grand Slams not in a pleasant way. In her final appearance in the Australia Open, she finished runners-up in the mixed doubles category. Mirza and her partner Rohan Bopanna were defeated 6-7, 2-6 by the Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Mataos in the summit game at the Rod Laver Arena. However, the Indian tennis queen, with tears in her eyes, announced during the post-match conversation that she would continue playing tennis in a few tournaments later while clarifying the fact that those certainly wouldn’t be any Grand Slam. A number of Mirza’s family members including her husband Shoaib Malik and her four-year-old son Izhaan marked their presence in the stands, making the match more special. After the match, Shoaib Malik penned a note on Twitter and hailed Sania Mirza for her contribution to Indian tennis and her accomplishments on the court. The Pakistan cricketer wrote, “You are the much-needed hope for all the women in sports. Super proud of you for all you have achieved in your career. You’re an inspiration for many, keep going strong. Many congratulations on an unbelievable career.”

Sania Mirza was overwhelmed and broke out in “happy tears” while speaking about her decorated career. So far, she has won as many as six Grand Slam titles including three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles. Along with Mahesh Bhupati, she clinched the mixed doubles titles at the 2009 Australian Open and the 2012 French Open and won the 2014 US Open pairing with Brazilian Bruno Soares. While struggling to hold back her tears, the Indian tennis ace said, “If I cry, these are happy tears. That’s just a disclaimer that I’m still going to play a couple of more tournaments.” Mirza further referred to some memorable outings at the Rod Laver Arena which also hosted her final Grand Slam game. Reminiscing about the old days, she recalled, “Rod Laver Arena has really been special in my life and I couldn’t think of a better arena to finish my career at in a Grand Slam.” Mirza played his first match at the venue back in 2005 against Serena Williams in the third round as an 18-year-old. She noted, “I have had the privilege to come back here again and again, win some tournaments here and play some great finals amongst you all.” In the end, Mirza made a special mention of her family members who were present during the match. She revealed her unparalleled happiness saying, “It’s truly special for me, to have my four-year-old here and my parents here, and Rohan’s wife, my trainers, my family in Australia who made me feel like a home away from home.” Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.