RECOVERY HAS BEEN SLOWER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED: SANIA MIRZA RETHINKS RETIREMENT PLANS

Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza was slated to call time on her career at the end of the 2022 season but a tendon injury in her arm, incurred at the US Open, played spoilsport.

In a recent interview, she revealed that her comeback has been pushed back due to her slow recovery.

“Honestly, the recovery has been slower than I would have liked,” she told the media on Tuesday.

“It’s been more than a month. I didn’t realise it but I’ve torn my tendon and it’s detached a bit from the bone. So it’s very painful,”

She said she is still unable to pick up a bottle, even now.

“Even today, after four and a half weeks, when I thought I should’ve started hitting balls by, I’m still unable to pick up a water bottle without pain. It does look like it’s going to take a few more weeks. I’ll do a few more tests and see how it is,”

The injury and time it is taking for her recovery mean the current season might not be retiring at the end of the 2022 season.

“This is why I don’t know about my retirement plans or anything. I was hoping to play the US Open, still being close to 20 in the world rankings I thought it would be nice to play a Grand Slam and finish. But I don’t know exactly when I’ll be better and then what I’ll play,” she said.