Sania Mirza celebrates career send-off in Hyderabad exhibition, gala

TENNIS CHANNEL LIVE: Sania Mirza plays final major tournament in Melbourne.

So long, Sania!

The sporting trailblazer and six-time Grand Slam champion made her retirement official over the weekend at a star-studded celebration at home in Hyderabad—the site of her first WTA titles.

Mirza’s farewell tour already included a runner-up finish of the 2023 Australian Open mixed doubles event, and after playing her final WTA match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, she arrived home for an exhibition and gala to celebrate her 20 years on tour.

She began the week being honored with the Sportstar International Icon Award, and later reunited with childhood friend Rohan Bopanna for an exhibition mixed doubles match.

Mirza was later on hand for a Game Set Celebrate gala that featured some fun dance moves from the former WTA doubles No. 1.

Sporting celebrities like cricketers Irfan Pathan and Jemmimah Rodrigues have been sending Mirza their best throughout the weekend:

Good friend and former doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands also made the trip to Hyderabad, chronically her time with Mirza on Instagram.

“On the court or off… @mirzasaniar is my #RideOrDie,” captioned the fellow former WTA doubles No. 1, who also showed off dresses for Sunday’s gala.

Mirza returned from maternity leave after giving birth to her first child in 2018, reaching five WTA finals in winning two titles in her final two seasons on tour.

“I never thought I would be able to play in front of my child in a Grand Slam final,” she said back in Melbourne. “It’s truly special for me to have my four-year-old here.”