Star Indian tennis player Sania Mirza says she has achieved everything in her path-breaking career and has "nothing to prove" in her second innings, which is likely to begin by January 2020.
In her quest to make a comeback to competitive tennis after more than two years after becoming a mother, the 32-year-old Sania is training vigorously for about four hours a day and has shed 26 kilos in the process.
Before taking leave from the circuit to start a family, Sania won six doubles Grand Slam titles -- including three mixed -- achieved the number one rank, won medals at multi-disciplinary events apart from laying hands on a year-end WTA Finale title with Swiss great Martina Hingis.
"In my career, I have achieved everything which I could have dreamt of. And whatever happens next will be a bonus for me. I thought I will be able to comeback by August but probably by January, it looks like a possibility," Sania told PTI in an interview.
"Having (son) Izhan is the biggest blessing I could have. If I am able to come back, it will be amazing. He's (son) my inspiration to get back to being fit. If I do comeback, it will not be to prove anything. The only reason to comeback would be that I love playing and competing."
Byt why the "if"? has she still not made up her mind?
"I say so because I still have to see how my body reacts. The picture will be clear in the next two months. I don't want to compete when I am not ready. There is no point in coming back and getting injured."
"I have been able to get back to being as strong as I was before, which is great. But I still have a bit of knee issue. It has not gone away completely. I had this knee injury even when before I got pregnant that's why I had stopped playing at the end of 2017. It's not bad but still there, lingering."
"I don't want to get into what problems I have with my knee but I had surgery on the knee before."
"I did not know how the body was going to react. You can't actually anticipate after giving birth to a baby. I put on 23 kilos, I lost 26 kilos now. I am trying to become strong and to play at international level, I still need time."
"There is no goal. Whatever happens in life hereon, regrading tennis, it will be just a plus. Once I make that comeback, I will see where I stand as an athlete. Right now I just want to make a comeback."
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