Sania Mirza Has Spoken - “Self-love is NOT how you GOOD look on INSTAGRAM.”

IN AN EXCLUSIVE CHAT WITH COSMO, TENNIS ACE SANIA MIRZA SHARES HER POSITIVITY MANTRA, WHAT (AND WHO) INSPIRES HER TO DO BETTER IN LIFE, AND HOW SHE HANDLES HATERS LIKE A PRO!

- Priyanka Yadav

Picking up a tennis racket at the age of six didn’t just go on to define Sania Mirza in the years that followed, but it also shaped what was going to be the tennis star’s relationship with her body, for life. Growing up, Sania didn’t worry about what ‘looked’ good or bad on her, like girls her age possibly did. Instead, she focused on building a body that could better her game—a muscular, athletic body. And much of that early learning stays with her—even after almost two decades of playing professionally, six Grand Slam doubles titles to her name, a decade of marriage, and a one-year-old son. Comfortable with her body, in all its ‘perfections’ and ‘imperfections’, for Sania, the first step towards self-love is to learn to be content with yourself, and to be your own (and only) competition...a mantra that seems to have held the 33-year-old in good stead, both on and off the court. Enjoying the small joys of life with her loved ones, albeit away from her husband for the moment, and realigning life’s perspective in the lockdown, our Digital Covergirl opens up in this candid chat with Cosmo.

Cosmo: As a sportsperson, what were some of the challenges you had to face during the lockdown?