'I Will Get Pregnant Three More Times, But...': Sania Mirza Opens Up About Motherhood, Breastfeeding Struggles & Choosing Family Over Tennis

Tennis legend Sania Mirza recently shared a heartfelt account of her journey as a mother and the emotional challenges that came with balancing her career and raising her son, Izhaan. In a candid chat with Masoom Minawala on the podcast, Sania spoke openly about the personal reasons behind her decision to retire from professional tennis.

Sania Mirza, shared that she was still playing tennis on the night before giving birth on October 30, 2018, and began working out just three weeks after her son was born. Mirza admitted that while pregnancy was a dream, it was breastfeeding that she found the hardest.

“I breastfed for 2.5-3 months. For me, that was the hardest part of pregnancy. I am like, I will get pregnant three more times, but this feeding business, I don’t know if I can do. For me, it was not the physical aspect of it, but the emotional and mental aspects that were draining. As working women, it ties you down. They are so dependent on it, time commitment, not enough sleep, and you are centering all activities around the feeding schedule. I did what was needful.”

Sania Mirza on reason behind retiring from tennis

During the interview, Sania recalled the emotional moment when she left Izhaan for the first time while he was just six weeks old. She said,“It was the hardest flight I’ve ever taken. I cried a lot. I didn’t want to go, but I had to,”

She added, “I even pumped breast milk on the flight and flew back to Hyderabad the same day. In the end, he was okay, and I was okay too. That moment made me stronger.”

Mirza also revealed it was her desire to be there for her son that truly pushed her to step away from tennis. “One of the biggest reasons I chose to stop was because I wanted to spend more time with my son.He’s growing up fast, and kids need that stability someone they can count on to be there.”