It's not easy being Sania Mirza with over a billion people watching every move she makes but the Hyderabadi teenager does not complain and says she has learnt to live with it.
Currently playing in the DFS Classic at Birmingham as a build-up for the Wimbledon, Sania said she was used to the pressure and in fact that helped her understand Briton Tim Henman's plight, who has been under similar pressure for the past 15 years.
"It's very hard when every time you step on court the whole country has its eyes on you," Sania said told Times Online here.
"The amount of respect I have for Henman is huge because the amount of pressure he has been under every year for the last 15 years is amazing. I really feel for him," she added.
Sania, who had a meteoric rise last year jumping from world number 206 to 31 by the end of the year, said her success last year has made her more mature for a 19-year-old even though it probably cost her a normal teenager's life.
| |||||||||||
"You know there are a billion people watching you every time you play a tennis match. It is something incredible, but it's hard to be a normal teenager," she said.
However, this year has not been as good for Sania so far and she has failed to go beyond the second round of any singles competition -- the most recent being the first round exit from French Open. But the WTA Newcomer of the Year is hoping to make amends on her return to grass court.
"I'm really looking forward to getting back on the grass," she said adding, "It suits my game." Recalling her most memorable moments on court, Sania said the second round loss to Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in last year's Wimbledon was one of the high points of her career.
"It was very emotional because playing on Centre Court is something every tennis player dreams of doing," she said recalling the loss in three sets.
"I couldn't believe it when I saw the order of play the night before. I played one of the best matches of my life there. It didn't go my way but it was very, very memorable," she added.
More from rediff