Summary of this article
Sania Mirza felt a deep emotional emptiness after her retirement from professional tennis
The sudden loss of a decades-long routine caused her to cry for hours and face a challenging transition
Mirza found new purpose post-retirement as a mentor, television presenter, and podcast host, keeping busier than ever
Sania Mirza retired from professional tennis in 2023 after nearly two decades on the court, winning six Grand Slam doubles titles, 43 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) titles, and becoming the first Indian woman to reach the World No. 1 ranking in doubles. She is one of the most popular athletes in the country. However, as retirement comes early in sports, after her retirement, she felt the transition was difficult, especially in the initial phase.
She recently shared that the next morning after her final match at the Dubai Open, she woke up and felt “empty”. Although she wanted to retire, she described the feeling, saying that “a part of me had died”, in an interview with Zoom.
The Life Lived For 30 Years And A New Start
She felt like she had to bury the life she had lived for over 30 years and start a new one. “I cried, and cried, and cried for two hours”. She said that after spending years in a tight-scheduled life, packed with training, gym sessions, physio, rehab, and yearly travel plans, all of a sudden, it all came to a stop. Suddenly, there was no set routine and no external pressure to rush, which probably made her feel empty.
She said that her retirement not only changed her life, but also her family’s, as she was like a “project of the family” and her parents often scheduled and rescheduled their routine according to her routine and to travel with her. So, they also had to realign their life after her retirement.
Finding New Purpose
She says, “I am not the person who can sit”. To start life afresh post-retirement has been a huge readjustment for her, but Mirza embraced challenges and found new ways to anchor her life. At present, she serves as a mentor for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), working in television and covering Roland Garros, and running her podcast channel.
For her, as she puts it, her life after retirement is busier than it was before retirement. She credits it to her openness to learn new skills and being open to challenges.
Retirement Is Not An End; It Is A Restart
Retirement comes with its own challenges, and if it happens after a fast-paced, packed-scheduled life like Sania’s, retirement could feel like a sudden stop. According to experts, having a purpose can immensely help shift gears and reorient life post-retirement.
Many a time, retirees attach themselves so much to the title they held for a long time that they find it difficult to live without it. It is common among people to cling to their title and identify themselves with it long after their retirement.
However, to fill the void post-retirement, a little pre-planning, an open mind, and openness to change could be useful. Certainly, retirement forces a change in the routine structure of a day, but it also offers the freedom to plan it at your own will.
