Unless you live under a rock, you would know that Mirza has the tenacity to be calm on the court and the personality to shut people up when a stray question comes her way. She was the global No. 1 in women's doubles for a reason – on and off the court. The girl from the city of Nizams not only charted her name in history but also paved the way for generations of women to champion a similar path in a sport dominated by men. However, Mirza feels she hasn't been able to change the narrative completely.
"I don't think I've changed the complete narrative because I think that I have been part and beginning of a change. Otherwise, we would be seeing, we would be answering different questions. We still answer the same questions that are only asked to women players. Have I tried to make that change at the beginning? Maybe. I think that's why today (outside of our cricketers) the biggest superstars in sport are women athletes," Mirza said in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat during the launch of ITC Nimyle Clean Equal Mission at Taj Deccan in Hyderabad.
No more 'sexist' questions, please!
It was back in 2016 that Sania Mirza gave the perfect reply to a question asked by a seasoned journalist on television: "Amidst all the celebrityhood, when is Sania going to settle down? What about motherhood, building a family? It seems you don't want to retire just yet to settle down?"
In her response, which began with the most telling facial expressions, Mirza said, "You sound disappointed I am not choosing motherhood over being No. 1 in the world," she said. "But I will answer your question anyway. These are the questions I face all the time as a woman, the first is marriage and then it's motherhood. Unfortunately, that's when we are settled, and no matter how many Wimbledons we win or number ones in the world we become, we are not settled," Mirza had said. Since then, the conversation around women athletes and achievers has started to change.
Time to change the narrative about women
Mirza shocked the Indians and the tennis fraternity worldwide after she announced her retirement in February 2023 from professional tennis. She has since then made Dubai her home and is a sports ambassador for the country. She is the first South Asian woman to become a UN Goodwill Ambassador. She also manages her tennis academy while spending more time with her son, Izhaan, which was another reason she retired from tennis. The news didn't go down well with her fans last year. However, Mirza stuck to her guns and continued with her decision without paying any attention to trolls. Over the years, she has come to be known as a voice for gender equality, especially in sports.
Recalling one of the incidents where she was in a panel discussion along with two other women athletes, she shared that they were met with the same sexist questions. "The only thing that we were asked was how we manage to do that as women. Now, all three of us come from different religions, societies and backgrounds but the question remains the same: 'Ladki hai kaise karegi' (she is a girl, how will she do that). A boxer was asked, why she chose this career which comes with face injuries. Women are expected to follow certain norms, to be pretty, to be fair-skinned, to know how to cook," she stated.
On the last point, she added that although she likes doing household chores, she can't cook and that's not wrong. "I love doing chores, but I don't know how to cook. So I have to have a chef in the house because that's just something I don't do. The generations before have told us that women need to do this and men need to do that. I am trying to change that in my home with my son," shared the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan recipient.
Refusing to conform to societal expectations
Mirza's bold choices both on and off the court made her a trailblazer at a time when women in sports faced countless stereotypes. Her iconic forehand became a symbol of her strength and her refusal to conform to societal expectations. She proved that success was achievable through talent and hard work, regardless of gender. She said the bad times and criticism have shaped her as a human being.
"Sport teaches you to take things in your stride. We have a lot of bad days in our sports career, the same way we do in life. Obviously, there is more pressure because a lot of it is written about us when we are going through a slump. If a non-celebrity has a bad day, it's probably not going to be written in the newspaper or flashed in front of them on the news channel. That is the life we've chosen. So bad days teach you that not everything bad is necessarily so for the future. At that moment, it may feel painful and like it's the worst thing that could have happened to you, but in all honesty, it may be the best thing," said Mirza pointing at the recent headlines she made post her separation from Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
Finding normalcy amid the spotlight
As someone in the spotlight, when asked how she maintains a sense of normalcy in her personal life, she responded that it has never been a part of her life. "I have accepted that normalcy is not something I am ever going to have. It's not normal to have multiple cameras facing you while I'm talking to a person. Nothing is normal about that. But I try to find that normalcy within my house. That's what I try to do for my son as well because I think he will also never have a normal childhood. We have to provide him with a space as normal as possible, whatever that might be. So, we find it within the walls of our house, within our family, among our close friends," confessed the Arjuna Award of Lawn Tennis winner.
Sania also emphasised that she is keen on instilling the lessons and values she has learned from her journey as an athlete. "Sport teaches you things that books sometimes can't teach you. It teaches you how to deal with losses daily. How to be resilient in loss and be humble in defeat and in victory. It teaches you that you're only as good as your last match. It doesn't matter how good or bad you are. I want to instill the same values in my son. I make sure he picks up his plate after eating, that he does his chores. I think that's my responsibility as someone who speaks so much about gender equality," Mirza said, adding that sometimes she puts herself first to teach her son the importance of self-love.
Taking things one at a time
In the last few months, Mirza has been at the receiving end of both judgements and support for several reasons, however, she tries to take everything in a positive stride. "Sometimes when I have a bad day or a bad week, I ask myself 'What's the worst that can happen?' I can try and make it better when I have an opportunity tomorrow. That's what I have learned from my sport. People forget that when we play a sport or when we play against someone or with someone, we don't care which country or which colour they are," Mirza said.
With her successful career as a tennis player spanning over two decades, Mirza, presently, is not keen on taking up a coaching or mentoring role after stepping down. However, she wants to continue to raise her voice where it matters. "My goals change over time. And today I have different sets of goals. I was not put on the earth to just hit tennis balls. I've been in this position for a reason. I have to use that position to try and make whatever change and betterment I can," she said as we signed off.
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