India’s Sania Mirza mentioned the elusive dream of profitable a medal at her fourth Olympics in Tokyo this yr motivated her to return to the WTA circuit after a year-long hole.
Mirza, paired with Slovenian Andreja Klepac, reached the semi-finals within the ladies’s doubles on the Qatar Open on Wednesday, her first match since Feb. 2020 when she performed on the similar Doha occasion.
The 34-year-old, who recovered from COVID-19 in January, mentioned she wished to avenge the defeat she suffered within the Olympic bronze medal play-off match in 2016 when she misplaced 6-1 7-5 in blended doubles with associate Rohan Bopanna.
“The Tokyo Olympics was positively one of many causes (for my comeback),” six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Mirza mentioned.
“We got here actually, actually near profitable that medal final time (when) we misplaced the bronze medal match.
“I really feel once I type of shut this chapter of my life… an Olympic medal is one thing that I’d have beloved to win. So I wish to give myself one other shot at it.
“Whether or not I might be or will I have the ability to? Time will inform, however that’s one thing necessary to me and it was one of many motivations for me to come back again.”
Mirza, who grew to become a mom in Oct. 2018, additionally mentioned she is motivated to encourage ladies to chase their goals.
“Ladies type of assume that when they’ve a child, life is over, however it’s not,” she mentioned.
“You don’t need to crush your goals as a result of you could have a toddler. You possibly can nonetheless go after them.”