Dubai: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who is expecting her first child, has declared that she would be returning to the courts just in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 31-year-old sports star who had recently publicized the news of her pregnancy with husband and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, says that she wishes to be an exemplary icon that people should not let go of their dreams just because they are pregnant.
“It was just about time… I was down with my knee injury anyway and we had been thinking about it for a while… We thought it was a good time to start a family and experience this new phase of our lives,” stated Mirza.
The tennis star who has been unable to play since October, due to a knee injury has tumbled from her number one position to 24, in the world doubles ranking that made her the first Indian woman to reach the top.
On the matter of her knee injury, Mirza has stated: “I haven’t played since mid-October, so it has been a solid six months and more. Rest was something everyone was recommending… So, I won’t say it’s perfect, but it’s better.”
In spite of the injury, however, the tennis player is still in high spirits and is looking forward to the Tokyo Olympics.
“The 2020 Olympics is a long way off. I’ve said this many times that as tennis players, we wish we knew what our lives brought us tomorrow. Having said that though, it definitely looks very doable right now. But one has to wait and watch where life really takes you. Most definitely, I would say coming back to playing is priority as soon as the pregnancy is done,” she stated.
On the matter of raising her child, Mirza reveals: “Of course, my kid is very important in my life right now, but after that, I would like to come back to playing because it’s an example I’d like to set for my kid as well that you don’t give up on your dreams just because you’re pregnant.”
