Sania Mirza on finding out about the coronavirus crisis on tour: My only thought was to be back with my son as soon as I could

A mother herself, the sight and plight of little children going hungry amidst the COVID pandemic, has affected Sania Mirza more than anything else. It’s one of the reasons why India’s tennis superstar has come forward to raise funds for daily wage workers—so that their families get to eat. Mirza reflects on how she’s making the most of lockdown life, even though it has brought her successful post-maternity comeback to a grinding halt.  

You were on tour in mid-March, in the US, when you had to head back to India and self-quarantine. Could you sense panic around you while you were there, and travelling back?  

Initially, no, even though I was following the news regularly. We were ready for the tournament [Indian Wells], and an hour after I landed in the US from Dubai, I found out that it had been cancelled. At that point, my only reason for panicking was because my son was continents away from me [at home in Hyderabad], who I had not taken with me to the US just as a precautionary measure. When Miami also got cancelled, that’s when I started realising the magnitude of the problem, and my only and only thought at that point was to be back with Izhaan as soon as I could.  

Your family has been involved with charity work in Hyderabad for years, and now you’ve teamed up with an NGO to help.  

Yes, the charity that our family is involved in, I choose to not talk about it because it’s a very personal thing. But this time around I realised the problem is so huge that I can’t do this on my own, and really there’s no end to the amount you can help those in need. In this pandemic, food is the most important. We can’t afford to have hungry people. But how much could I do alone? So I decided to join hands with SAFA India, the NGO with help from my sister’s friend, and in a week’s time we managed to raise Rs 1.5 crore. I’m grateful to everyone who contributed within their own capacity. We are a big country and no amount of help is enough. It’s the very least I can do. 

Any particular story from this crisis that has stayed with you?

I’ve become more sensitive towards children and their issues ever since I’ve had Izhaan. And the images of families of labourers with their children walking for hundreds of kilometres to get to their villages—it’s the most heartbreaking. There’s that image of a family of four, and the father with a three-year-old child on his shoulders, and they’ve just got a couple of bags with them—it haunted me. It’s tough enough to have a toddler around—I can say that because I have one—and then to go through these unimaginable circumstances with them. It’s not fair on anyone, but it’s the worst for little children.  

Could you describe a typical 24 hours in your life these days?

I’ve been waking up late because I’ve been going to bed late. Izhaan is a year-and-a-half now, and he just doesn’t get tired! There’s only that much you can do in and around the house, so he has unlimited energy that keeps him and me up till late. I have to play all sorts of games and puzzles. In the morning, I get busy on calls with the NGO I am associated with. We check how much funds we’ve managed to source, where it’s going, how much more is needed and which areas need it the most. Luckily, we’ve got a garden, so there’s a chance to catch some fresh air. Izhaan naps for about two hours during the day, that’s when I catch up on Netflix, Amazon and Hotstar. I’m currently watching This Is Us and the latest season of Money Heist. I’ve got a tennis court adjacent to our home, so in the evenings Izhaan and I run around there a bit, the family plays some TT, and then I work out before joining everyone for dinner.  

On the tennis front, any particular competitions you were to take part in, which may now not happen?

Well, I’m grateful to have made my comeback after my two year maternity break, and compete. It was quite magical to win a tournament on my comeback (in Hobart), and frankly, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I had to pull out of the Australian Open because of an injury, but the recent Fed Cup success (where she guided India to the playoffs for the first time ever) was hugely satisfactory. Obviously it would have been nice to play the Slams this year, but doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. I’m grateful that I’m healthy at this point, and trying to remain as active as possible during the lockdown.        

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