JOIN US'My mom's my closest friend'
Sania Mirza, the tennis champion with a confident personality and a smile to match it, has clear-cut answers to anything you ask her. Metrolife caught up with this charming sportstar when she was in the City recently.
Ask her about her Bangalore connection and pat comes the reply, “We have family here and Bangalore being close to Hyderabad, I am here often. I have an uncle here, and so we often came and spent our holidays here.”
So where does Sania hangout when she’s in the City? She replies curtly, “I barely have time for myself. But I’d rather spend my time indoors with family whenever I can and have some homely food instead of outdoor food.” “And biriyani is my favourite food,” she adds.
Sania’s at her fittest self. Ask her about her fitness mantra, and she says, “What I do is not normal for any other person. My schedule includes five to six hours of workout plus the practice hours for tennis.” She feels that fitness is the need of the hour and that everyone should dedicate sometime for the same even with the busiest routine.
Sania had been courting controversies from a very young age. Ask her who she turns to while facing a bad situation, and she’s quick to answer, “My mom’s my closest friend. And I know that she wouldn’t judge me for anything. So she’s the first person I turn to for advice or for help. She has a clear sense of thinking and she guides me through.”
Having played all across the world for different tournaments, Sania’s favourite place to be in and play is Wimbledon.
Ask her about who she always wanted to meet, and she says, “There are too many to pin-point since I meet too many people and have played with many. But meeting Martina Hingis was one of my most memorable moments.”
It’s the IPL season and Sania likes her share of cricket. She says with a laugh, “I have no choice! I’m married to a cricketer.” So, which are Sania’s favourite teams this season? Sania answers, “‘Pune Warriors India’ and ‘Sunrisers Hyderabad’ of course.”
For aspiring youngsters who want to take up serious sports, Sania says, “To be something, you have to love what you’re doing. You could be a doctor or a sports personality. All you need is willpower and the passion to work towards being one.”