In the world of tennis, India has had precious few greats on the world stage. Since Ramesh Krishnan and the Amritraj brothers in the 1970s and 80s, the likes of Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes have shone, but in women's tennis, the pickings have been even slimmer.
Sania Mirza's emergence on the scene in the early 2000s was a massive boost to the profile of the game in India. Her run to the fourth round in the singles' category at the 2005 US Open, at the age of 19, captured the attention of the nation.
'Winning six grand slams isn’t settled enough for society' - Sania Mirza
Mirza has tasted success at several Grand Slam tournaments, primarily in the women's doubles and mixed doubles categories. She qualified for 12 finals, winning a total of six trophies with various doubles partners. Mirza has also won each of the four Grand Slams at least once, across these categories.
However, despite all her success on the court, Mirza says this did not prevent her from being burdened by the weight of society's expectations, especially those directed at women. On Friday, she took to X (formerly Twitter), to express her thoughts, saying,
In 2005, I was the first Indian woman to win a WTA title. Big deal, right? When I was world no. 1 in doubles, people were keen to know when I’d settle down. Winning six grand slams isn’t settled enough for society.
I'm grateful for the support I've received along the way, but can't help and think why a woman's achievements invite conversation about gender 'expectations' and appearances, instead of her skill and the work itself.
Mirza emphasised the tendency of society to concern itself with women's status in their personal lives, instead of their achievements in the professional sphere. She signed off by urging introspection on how we engage with women and their professional success.
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