Former Indian tennis star Sania Mirza opens up about her struggles with depression during the peak of her career. Speaking on her recent podcast, Mirza revealed facing personal challenges off the court while continuing to perform at the highest level.
Sania Mirza opens up about the stigma surrounding mental health in sports and society. “It is very important and I spoke about it quite late in life because we were not really aware about it before. It’s really in the last eight to 10 years that people have started to talk about mental health openly. There was so much stigma and shame around it in society. I am glad that it is going away,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey, Mirza discussed how athletes often suffer in silence due to unrealistic expectations. She admitted experiencing multiple bouts of depression during her career. “Even I went through it. I had a couple of bouts of depression; I struggled at times. I was dealing with a lot of things off the court as well which were being discussed in the media much early on in my career,” she explained.
Sania Mirza opens up further about how she addressed her lows later in life. She highlighted the importance of athletes speaking about mental health to inspire others. “I did go through my lows and I spoke about them much later in life. But I am glad that Jemimah did speak about it, as it makes such a big impact,” she added.
Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues recently shared her own struggle with anxiety during the semi-final clash at the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Mirza expressed that these conversations help reduce stigma and encourage open dialogue around mental health.
Mental health experts say that Sania Mirza’s openness could inspire other athletes and young fans to seek help and speak freely about their challenges. The conversation around mental health in Indian sports is slowly gaining recognition, thanks to figures like Mirza and Rodrigues.
Sania Mirza’s candid discussion emphasizes the importance of awareness, support, and understanding for athletes managing mental health pressures alongside professional demands.
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