Sania Mirza, said to be the most Googled female tennis player in the world last year, is in Charleston right now and she?s rather busy. She and doubles partner Elena Vesnina, who won the Indian Wells doubles title together last month, are in the singles and doubles quarterfinals. Several years ago, Mirza was ranked a career-high No. 27 before wrist issues led to a plunge in the rankings. Then last year, the Indian tennis player with the big forehand made big news when she married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. She?s been making her way back up the rankings since (she?s ranked No. 90 this week) and is enjoying married life. Yesterday we caught up with Mirza to chat about India?s recent Cricket World Cup, being a cricket WAG and, oh, tennis.
Your thoughts on India winning the Cricket World Cup last weekend?
I think it?s amazing. I did catch the India-Pakistan semifinal. First of all, I think it?s unbelievable that India and Sri Lanka, being the two host nations, made the final. You can?t ask for a better World Cup final. And then obviously India winning it. We were very proud. It hasn't happened in a very long time. I think we had the best team. And I?m a huge fan of Sachin [Tendulkar, India's most famous player]. Not like it would have made him any less if he didn?t win the World Cup, but I think it kind of completes him and now he?s the best ever, I would say.
Did you watch a lot of the matches?
I was watching online. We were in Miami during a lot of games, but it was good. I love cricket and obviously my husband being a cricketer, it doesn?t leave me much choice. But I do watch a lot of cricket anyway. I wanted to go?because I always went for some matches?but unfortunately I couldn?t.
You won the Indian Wells doubles title with Elena Vesnina around the same time. Were you inspired by the team?
We won before them actually. [laughs] Obviously as a sportsperson you think of a lot of things when you go on court. Playing for your country, it?s a big honor. No matter what sport you?re playing, no matter what you?re doing, if you?re representing your country it brings out the best in you. Even though ours is more an individual sport, the fact is that you?re associated with your country. And it makes you very proud as an Indian to say that we?re world champions at cricket, a sport that?s so huge in that part of the world.
You called yourself a ?cricket WAG? on your Twitter profile. How?s that going?
Well, I haven?t seen my husband in five weeks. He?s not here?he?s in Pakistan right now. Twitter?s just fun. I was a tennis player first, because that Twitter account was made before I was married. And then I became married and I thought, ?Let me do something fun.? Twitter is a great way just to interact with people. It makes you understand how people look up to you in so many different ways. Imagine just hitting some tennis balls and people are treating you like an idol. That?s amazing. I have a lot of fans on there?200,000 I think?and I didn?t even know that so many people would actually want to know what I want to say. I?ve started interacting a bit more lately. It?s a fun thing. It?s very addictive, I must say.
Your first wedding anniversary is next week? How will you celebrate?
It?s on the 12th. It really depends on how far I go here. The tournament ends on the 11th. Hopefully I should make it in time?or hopefully not. [laughs] No, we?re very not that kind of a couple. We don?t say, ?Oh, you didn?t come for my birthday.? I think that?s the great thing about our relationship. Because we?ve lived the same lives, but not in a way, some things don?t need to be explained and said. So there you go. Maybe we can celebrate it on the 13th.
Has marriage affected your career?
It has, and it hasn?t. It?s great to have someone by your side no matter what, and it has nothing to do with tennis or anything else. But having said that, because he is a professional athlete himself, he understands what goes with being a professional athlete, so it becomes a lot easier. He understands the pressure, because he was the cricket captain in his country. In India and Pakistan, being the cricket captain is probably the highest pressure you can cope with. [laughs] It?s a really big deal. And we train together, we go to the gym together. We enjoy each other?s sport. There?s a lot of positive energy. The most important thing is, when you?re happy, everything else seems ok. For me, tennis has always been a part of my life?it?s never been my life. Yes, I love it. To be playing tennis today is a blessing, because I really never thought I was going to hold a tennis racquet again in my life. To be playing, to be back in the Top 100, I feel like I?ve achieved something very big and very satisfying in my life.
You?re speaking of the wrist injury you struggled with for a while. How did it change your outlook on your game and your life? You?ve struggled with it for a few years.
Since 2008. I was No. 27 in the world when I got injured. It was in Indian Wells. I remember the match?I beat Shahar Peer. We played for three hours plus. I came off the court and I tried to press the button on the bike; I couldn?t press it. Then that?s it. Literally 10 days and I went into surgery. That?s where it all started. When I came back from surgery it was too much pain. Then I took off, came back, took off. It was never a continuous thing. Maybe I just needed to take six months off at the beginning. I mean, you never know.
It makes you value more what you have now?
Everything happens for a reason. If I wasn?t injured for six months last year I wouldn?t have gotten married, because I had no time. Because I would be on tour, and I probably wouldn?t have met [Shoaib]. I really thank God that I?m playing again, I thank God that I found the person I love and I also thank God that I?m close to playing my best tennis.
You both live in Dubai now. How do you like it there?
Yeah, we?re based there. We don?t spend as much time as we?d like to. If I?m not traveling for tennis, I?m traveling for cricket. From here we?ll go to Dubai, we?ll stay a few days. We kind of also have to shuffle between India and Pakistan, because his mom still lives in Pakistan, my parents still live in India. We still travel a lot. Yes, we?re based out of Dubai, but we spend a lot of time everywhere.
You and Elena Vesnina are doing well here in singles and doubles, pretty soon after winning in the Indian Wells doubles title. Think that title is helping?
Doubles is a great way to keep your confidence going. We won Indian Wells, and Elena made the third round in Miami and are in the quarterfinals here. It can change things?it gives you a lot of confidence, it improves your game a lot, still keeps you in that competitive edge. Because we?re both singles players, our priority is singles. We?re also very good doubles players, and we?re playing together at least until Wimbledon. We?re doing quite ok until now. [laughs]
What do you consider your biggest on-court achievements?
There are a few. Definitely winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title. To be in the Top 30, from India, being a woman?I think that?s a really big achievement.
What are your goals for the rest of the year and beyond?
Just to stay healthy. Because every time I set a target for myself, I get injured. So I?m getting a bit superstitious about it.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/CXn8707atiA/
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