Tennis star Sania Mirza says she enjoyed incredible results in 2016 and it would be amazing if she could complete a Career Slam next year. Sania has three Grand Slam titles each in women’s and mixed doubles formats.
“It was unbelievable year for me, to finish at number one again, to win 8 tournaments, to win a Grand Slam, to be in the final of another. I can’t ask for a better year, so it’s been an incredible year and I am so happy to be number one, to also finish at number one is a proud moment for me,” Sania said.
“I would love to win a Grand Slam next year. If that does happen (winning women’s doubles French Open) it would be amazing. I won’t kill myself, if I don’t. And it’s the Wimbledon mix that I am missing. It would be amazing for me to have three back to back years with at-least one slam. So that would be my goal really and everything else follows,” she said at a promotional event.
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Asked if she will continue with new partner Barbora Strycova since the Czech also plays singles, Sania said there are no plans to change the partner.
“We played about six tournaments last year, we won two and played a final. We obviously had a good start and she is a great fighter, which is her biggest quality as a tennis player. So do I feel she is going to focus more on the other (singles), of course not. Whenever we step on the court, it is going be 100 per cent or we do not get on the court.”
Talking about her successful partnership with Swiss great Martina Hingis, Sania said it was “incredible”.
“Not many people have achieved what we achieved together, so it was an incredible partnership and relationship we had on and off the court. I did learn from her because she is more experienced. But with Barbara, we are exactly the same age, she is older to me. We have played juniors together, we have known each other since we were 14-years old.
“It’s always tricky when you split with someone who you have so much success with for everybody. I was lucky enough to find someone with whom I got instant success and we happen to win one of the biggest tournaments of the year right after we split next week in Cincinnati. This is a professional tour. Everybody wants to win and when it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out and you move on,” she said.
She also said that she will continue her pairing in mixed doubles with Ivan Dodig from Croatia but it can change if the Croatian struggles with injury.
“At the moment Ivan and me are planning to play together. He is bit injured with his back over the last 4-5 months, so he is struggling with his body. He does play singles and doubles, so at this point yes, but in the next couple of weeks, he told me he is going to be training in Australia and if he feels, his back is not 100 per cent, then may-be I will play with somebody else.
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