Indian tennis star Ankita Raina finds herself fortunate and grateful for getting the opportunity to play alongside the legendary Sania Mirza and dreams of replicating the success of her compatriot.
With her unprecedented success at the international level including multiple grand slam titles, Mirza became synonymous with tennis in India and is an idol to a generation of budding tennis players including Raina.
Raina, who has been around for nearly a decade now, topping the Indian women’s tennis rankings, spoke exclusively to News18 on the impact Mirza has had on her.
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“I’ve been fortunate, lucky and grateful that I got the opportunity to see her while growing up. She was the number one player in India and she was the flag bearer of tennis. I remember, once she was supposed to play against tennis legend Serena Williams and it was being flashed on every news channel. I still have that memory so fresh in my mind and that’s the kind of impact she has put on me and not only sports in general but on those who want to achieve a different path in life,” said Raina.
Mirza and Raina have participated together in various tournaments. In 2021, the duo teamed up in the Fed Cup and recorded impressive victories.
“I’ve had a great experience playing with her (Sania Mirza) in the Fed Cup when we represented the Indian team. Also, in 2020 when we qualified for the World Group play-offs, it was a historic moment. And it was for the first time that the women’s team had achieved that. So, having that moment with her and then it was the same time when she came back after having a baby. So, seeing Izhaan there and then seeing her compete, it’s just tough to describe in words how inspiring it was,” Raina recalled.
The pair also participated at the prestigious 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but couldn’t overcome the Kichenok twins – Nadia and Lyudmyla from Ukraine – in the opening round of women’s doubles event.
For Raina it was quite inspiring to share the court with Mirza and how she was invited to her home in Dubai so that they could practice together.
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“I got the chance to share the court with her (Sania Mirza) in Olympics last year and I was in Dubai during April, we were practicing together and then it was really great as she invited me at her home as I remember it was lockdown in Pune and I was actually planning to come back after tournament, but she asked me to stay with her so we could prepare and get ready. So, I would say that it’s following her footsteps and I hope that I crack into the Grand Slams soon,” she said.
Mirza, a winner of six Grand Slam titles, had first announced in January this year that she will retire by the end of 2022 season but then an injury forced her to withdraw from US Open and subsequently led to a change of plans.
When asked about continuing Mirza’s legacy, Raina said, “You can’t compare in sports two different persons as the challenges she’s had and the journey is different. She is a legend, obviously it’ll be a dream to accomplish so many things which she has been able to do. So, I think it’s just special what she has had, what she’s achieved in tennis, and given to tennis and India.”
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