India has been having problems with sport bodies, be it boxing, cricket, hockey or tennis. How does the feud affect athletes?
It definitely affects athletes in a negative way. It affected me when it happened during the Olympics. So, I can only imagine how others are affected. As athletes, we have enough pressures to deal with and don't need outside pressures other than what we need to perform in our respective fields.
What could be the possible solution?
I have no idea, to be honest. I think athletes should get involved in the board. Who understands the pressures better than those who have already been through them? I'm open to it. When I retire and have the time, I would love to do whatever I can to help tennis to grow.
PM Narendra Modi has been taking keen interest in promoting sports. He congratulates athletes on Twitter and even invited Asiad medallists for breakfast. How does it boost your morale?
It's very inspiring. He's a very dynamic leader, obviously. As athletes, we work very hard all our lives. We tennis players are fortunate enough to get a lot of recognition and play on big stages. But unfortunately, there are some people who can play only on certain stages like the Asian Games, Olympics or Commonwealth Games. So, it's nice for them to be recognised. It motivates us even more.
Was he the one who convinced you to participate in the Asiad?
Actually, he didn't tell me anything. I did meet him alone though, but we spoke about my sister. He remembered my sister, which was pretty amazing. I still can't believe it. She was a pistol shooter and he was the CM of Gujarat. He met her at some event. I had no clue that he even met her. It was amazing. Anyway, at the meeting he just asked me if I was happy and if I needed assistance for anything. It's pretty amazing for a PM because he's trying to help and trying to change things in the country. He is motivating.
India is becoming a nation of sporting leagues. You're part of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). How do you think it will help tennis?
Leagues are becoming like a cult now. It popularises the sport. Look at what it did for kabaddi. The IPTL is going to do the same for tennis. We have some of the greatest players in the world coming and playing in the country. It's going to be huge. To me, it's the awareness that's going to matter. We're not a sporting nation, we're a cricketing nation. We need to accept that and stop pretending to be a sporting nation. Why don't we produce sporting stars? Well, because there's no awareness. There's no help. People don't believe they can be a professional athlete, they think they can only be a cricketer. I think leagues like this help to motivate and inspire people to take up the sport. A lay man will get a chance to see Roger Federer playing live. How can you not be inspired after seeing his class?
But do you think such leagues will take a toll on players' fitness. The calendar is already quite packed...
We'll find out. Yes, as tennis players we do play a lot. That does cross everyone's mind but the format isn't that tiring. It's not like a normal tournament. It's not going to kill us. We'll see how the bodies react. Frankly, if we can't last playing one set then it's a problem.
You've had a fantastic year so far in the doubles circuit. Do you miss playing singles?
Yeah, I do miss playing singles. But I do know that it was the right decision to concentrate on doubles. You can't fight nature. If your body is screaming every morning, you can't be stubborn and say you are going to keep on playing and kill the body. I want to be able to walk when I'm 40. I don't want to be in pain all the time. And it's actually very upsetting because you wake up in the morning and you're not able to work as much as you want to. I have a certain joint condition. I've had three surgeries. So yeah, at that moment it was the toughest call. I was still top-100 in the world, so it was not easy. I do miss it. But look at the bigger picture. If I was still playing singles I wouldn't still be playing tennis any more. I'd probably be injured. It wasn't about 'if getting injured', it was the question of 'when'.
So you rule out playing singles any more?
Yes, I don't think playing singles is a possibility any more.
There's always the debate of playing for your country vs playing to improve rankings. You dedicated your WTA final win to the country. What made you do that?
I believe that every time we play, be it at Wimbledon or US Open, it always says Sania Mirza from India. It doesn't only say Sania Mirza. It's just a little different when we play the Asian Games, but it was a right call for me to go to Incheon because there was a lot emotional stuff going on at that time. They say when you try and do the right thing, in the end, God helps you. I tried to do the right thing even though I lost 900 points, but I ended up winning the WTA Championship and still finished the year top-10 in the world. So, I have no regrets.
You've recently signed up with a television channel to promote the James Bond franchise. Who do you think is the Bond of the tennis circuit?
It has to be Roger Federer. He's a very classy person. And, he's a great human being too.
