Haters Going to Hate, Players Going to Play!

Sania Mirza just cannot stop winning. The past one year has been a testament of her talent and, keeping in mind the events that have rocked the tennis fraternity, if she was a game show host then she would by now be pointing towards a fanciful door on a pretense set shouting “all Sania haters, come on down.”

 She would be laying down the red carpet on the choppy Indian roads and be personally handing out “Who’s your daughter-in-law?” pamphlets to all those who doubted her and never believed that she could be where she is today – touching the pinnacles of success and that too with unmatched charisma!

Instead, Sania has let her racquet do all the talking, has made her country touch the heights of glory and is now almost on the verge of becoming the first ever Indian woman to scale the world no. 1 rank in tennis.

All this despite being looked down upon with judgmental eyes and being let down one too many times!

Don’t get me wrong but our country is never supportive when it comes to underperforming athletes, especially women. What good is a floundering Sania Mirza when we’ve had the audacity to make a certain Sachin Tendulkar endure ignominious headlines like ‘Endulkar’? What good is her undying dedication when we’ve had people question the heart that Baichung Bhutia put into the game?

From the infamous ‘Jama Masjid’ controversy to her ‘legs pointing towards the Indian flag’ fiasco to the ridiculous ‘cannot play wearing shirts and skirts’ claptrap, Sania has been amidst the center of storm far too many times. However, what’s even more baffling is the appalling fact that she never gets the credit she deserves when she manages to weather that same storm through her wondrous achievements.

True that she’s had her share of controversies and has let her emotions get the better of her at times, but let’s be honest that the flame in her when it comes to playing the sport she loves, for the country her heart thrives for, is truly beyond doubt inextinguishable and essentially the only thing that matters

Ever since Mr. Laxman’s invigorating comments, Sania’s bandwagon has been on an impressive roll showing no signs of derailment whatsoever. For India’s good, let’s hope it stays on that path for a long time. Apart from being runners-up in 2014 at Indian Wells, Canada and China, she won the US Open, the WTA Championships and helped India bag a bronze and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

On the contrary, many think that the reason for her recent success on the circuit is Mr. Laxman. Now I understand that coming from a country that is dramatically ruled by the “chutzpah” of a certain organization called “Bollywood,” majority would be inclined towards that explanation. However, if I may be allowed to shatter this whole idiotic fabrication, Sania Mirza has always been one great tennis player.

The fact that she has represented us internationally for so long consistently only speaks volumes of the talent that she possesses. This after the sore fact that our country boasts of a population of 1.2 billion. Not only has Sania Mirza been India’s face globally when it comes to women’s tennis, but she must also be given credit for putting us on the map.

So to all those haters, who have nothing better to do than just submerge her in their bucketload of nonsense, it’s time to come out and smell the sweet aroma of your own foot lying deep inside your own mouth. It’s time to show some appreciation towards a world class tennis player rather than just sit back and wait for her to mess up and then trash her. Because no matter how positive we say we are, we have to come to terms with the ugly truth that it might actually be quite some time before we could have the privilege of walking tall among the tennis powerhouses.

Hence, if you want to judge her then judge her by her immense forehand and not by the legs that she displays while sporting a skirt on the court. A forehand so strong by the way that even the great Serena Williams had trouble braving her adroitness on a sunny afternoon at the Rod Laver Arena.

If you want to judge her, then judge her by her immaculate on-court presence of mind and not by her off-court marriage to another human being. A mind so technically sound when it comes to tennis acumen that hitting a deft drop shot even made his majesty Roger Federer stand back and applaud.

If you want to judge her then judge her by her prodigious baseline angles and not by the fact that she likes to click selfies and upload them on Instagram every now and then. Some angles so acute that even the best of the best – Swiss legend Martina Hingis – could not help but appreciate the genius in her.

If you want to judge her then judge her by her phenomenal winners and not by useless nugatory comments that she made on ‘safe sex’. Winners that are so staggering in execution that Svetlana Kuznetsova was left stunned in the middle of Wimbledon’s prestigious center court.

And finally, if you want to call her names, then call her by her own one and not by farcical slangs that disrespect her. Because quite frankly the name “Sania Mirza” says it all and is just that damn good!

Li Na – the phoenix who dared to dream!

I know that this post is a week too late, but to be honest that is the exact period of time it took me to realize what a loss Li Na’s retirement has been to the tennis fraternity (especially Asia). The ‘Chinese Sensation’ as she was fondly known to her fans decided to hang her racquet due to ongoing injuries and thereby in the process ended one of the most glorious and momentous careers in the sport’s history.

Believe me when I use the word “momentous” to define Li’s career because quite frankly I could not come up with a better word to suit her undying dedication and ruthless grit when it came to playing a sport that meant so much to her. Not only did she manage to exceptionally effectuate a plan that would lead her to distinctive eminence, but she also managed to bestow tennis in an unprecedented manner that will forever be talked about.

Her contribution towards tennis has been nothing short of being immense. Her trailblazing act of popularizing the sport in an “uncharted” territory like China (and even Asia to an extent) clearly speaks volumes of the kind of personage that Li Na possesses. What I guess today is that 10 years from now a pack of tennis fanatics will remember that the 5’7” Li Na mesmerized people with her exalted crouching forehand. However, I say with extreme surety that the world and its people will always remember her as an epitome of resistance.

Coming from China and choosing a sport that has not gifted the country with a “medal” since like forever would be a tough decision to make for any sportsperson. But nevertheless Li Na chose to go down that path. Not because she was forced to (unlike many Chinese Olympians) but because she wanted to stand out and make a difference. She wanted to grab a sport, which in her own words was in “infancy” in her country, by the throat and take it upwards to notability. And that’s exactly what she did.

I still remember watching the 2011 Roland Garros final when Li Na vanquished the exploits of then defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy to become the first ever Asian and Chinese Grand Slam singles champion and etch her name in history. Even though the sport of tennis is not uncommon in India and we’ve had our share of legendary Grand Slam champions, I have to admit that was indeed a proud moment for me as an Asian.

What’s extraordinary about that tournament in specific is that in addition to taming Schiavone in the final and romping her way past top guns like Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova in the process, Li Na was successful in drawing the attention of 116 million Chinese in watching the sport. That’s a win for any sport any day of the week and I guess the fabulous Chris Evert put it brilliantly and said it out for everyone when she said, “That kind of exposure is crucial for our sport; and it never would have happened without Li.” And it has indeed reaped great benefits for tennis in China.

From two professional tournaments in 2008 to ten today is just one of the many accomplishments of Li Na’s endurance and continuing fortitude. Her stirring list of “firsts” that include being the first Chinese to win a WTA title, the first to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal, the first to reach a Grand Slam final, the first to compete in the WTA Tour Finals, the first to be ranked in the top 20 and top 10 and the only till date to been ranked as high as World No. 2 has helped her country boast of having four players in the top 100 today– a feat that needed Li Na’s unflinching and indispensable perseverance.

Another achievement that Li Na can be proud to have under her cap is having the Rod Laver arena boo a defending champion in the final. The 2013 Australian Open final against the then defending champion Victoria Azarenka not only won Li millions of hearts around the world but also portrayed her as a phenomenal fighter (or ‘phighter’; now I know what Mary Kom a.k.a Priyanka Chopra meant). As mentioned before, the Chinese Sensation would hardly be remembered for her double-handed backhand. But what she will surely be remembered for is her crouching forehand. Because for a player to stay that low and smash the ball cross court with inconceivable speed clearly deserves some praise.

Undoubtedly the match that made Li Na’s unbreakable persona was the Azarenka final. After having won the first set comfortably, Li was down 0-3 in the second. Her valiant game play helped her level the second set at 4-4 even after twisting her ankle in the process and hopping her way to her chair en-route a medical timeout. However, Vika edged Li there to force a deciding third set.

The third set started with a literal “bang” as the match was interrupted due to the Australia Day fireworks celebration just at the point when Li had taken a 2-1 lead. When it resumed, she twisted her ankle for the second time and “banged” her head on the surface while tumbling over. Amidst the crowd support, Li Na distinctly appeared bleary during her second medical timeout and eventually gave in 6-3 to allow Azarenka lift her second straight Australian Open trophy among the Melbourne hostility.

That’s the kind of presence that Li Na had on the court. It’s really sad that the sport of tennis will now be deprived of the jolly and gleeful charisma that she brought to every game. But I guess like Bollywood’s unrivalled aura of making dismal sport movies, recurring injuries too had taken over Li Na’s body. Her journey by all means has not been easy. It never is for champions actually. But those who are the “bird that sticks out” will always stride towards victory with slicing brilliance and master the impossible.

“Not many people believed in my talent and my abilities, yet I found a way to persevere, to prove them (and sometimes myself!) wrong. Whether you want to be a tennis player, a doctor, a teacher or a business leader, I urge you to believe in yourself and follow your dream. If I could do it, you can too. Be the bird that sticks out. With hard work, your dreams will come true.”

Thank You Li Na! Thanks for being the change the world needed!