The court on which Sania Mirza plays is as large as the whole of India, including its contradictions. This is because the best ever female tennis player from the Asian subcontinent has overcome obstacles that would make even the greatest athletes waiver. She has received threats from Islam and Hindu integralists, has overcome serious injuries and has a display cabinet filled with slams and ATP trophies but, above all, is a source of inspiration for all Indian women thanks to her personal history.
From glory to offence
In addition to victories as part of a duo with Martina Hinghis, in recent years, Sania has totalled 14 WTA titles, including Wimbledon and the US and Australian Opens. If we were to discuss her in sports terms, there would be nothing particularly extraordinary, apart from the fact that she is the greatest female Indian tennis player of all times.
She rose to explosive fame in 2005 with the WTA victory of Bangalore, but the spotlights on her soon changed colour. Her clothing on the court, in fact, led to Sania suffering the first fatwa, a religious order that officially sanctions a certain type of behaviour as being contrary to the Sharia. As expected, this form of “excommunication” caused the ire of the Islam integralists of Andhra Pradesh, her state of origin.
The courage to go against the flow
The girl’s bold attitude goes well beyond the pressure, earning her another fatwa for having public declared that she was in favour of premarital sex. In view of how dangerous the situation was, she was assigned an escort who took her – once again – to win at the Calcutta tournament.
The definitive break with cultural dictates came in 2010, when she decided to run off with the captain of the Pakistani cricket team, eliminating all chance of the marriage her family had arranged for her. Considering the difficulty of the diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan, the ensuing storm is all too easy to imagine.
A model of inspiration
Today, with her 12 million followers (triple the number of Serena Williams), Sania smiles at the whole world and above all at all those who, like her, are women first and foremost, before being Indian, Muslim, wife or mother.
In response to criticism, Sania says: “I hope to be an inspiration for Indian women, to drive them to believe that anything is possible and they can achieve any goal they want, if they truly wish to”. Rojit Brijnath, an important Indian journalist, talks about her as: “She is the girl who is breaking through all possible social and cultural barriers”.
Sania’s message, ultimately, is as meaningful as it is simple: victory is right in front of your eyes, if only you have the courage to go beyond the net.