“Being the first to do something is always the hardest. There is no path to follow and no precedent. But overcoming those challenges is what makes you shine,” world tennis champion and empowerment icon, Sania Mirza, asserted to a packed audience at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival.
In conversation with Alia Bujsaim, a Board Member of the UAE Tennis Federation, Mirza noted: “Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like without tennis, but I simply can’t imagine it”.
A young girl from Hyderabad with a tennis racket and big dreams, Mirza’s journey is a living testimony that ‘challenges define champions’.
Being India’s first female tennis star in a cricket-dominated nation and a male-dominated sports industry, Sania has stood victorious on some of the biggest tennis courts in the world. She has navigated setbacks, physical injuries, extreme emotional hardships and self-doubt to redefine herself, her game and emerge stronger than ever.
In recent years, conversations around mental health in sports have gained traction, but the former World #1 Doubles recalls a time when it was rarely discussed.
“Dealing with immense pressure to win is emotionally exhausting. However, the ability to pick yourself up after a loss and go for the next win is what sets apart great athletes.”
For young athletes, her advice is clear – believe in yourself even when no one else does. “There were moments when people thought my dreams were unrealistic. Self-belief coupled with hard work made the ‘impossible’ possible,” she concluded.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
