KARACHI: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza has decided to retire after the conclusion of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next month.

Earlier, Sania had announced that she will bring the curtain down on her professional career after the conclusion of the 2022 season but chose to extend her career because of her elbow injury ahead of the US Open.

“I was going to stop right after the WTA Finals, because we were going to make the WTA Finals, but I tore my tendon in my elbow right before US Open so I had to pull out of everything,” Sania told wtatennis.com.

“And honestly, the person that I am, I like to do things on my own terms. So I don’t want to be forced out by injury. So I’ve been training.

“The plan is to try and retire in Dubai during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.”

Meanwhile, the Indian Tennis superstar will also be participating in the Australian Open, scheduled this month alongside Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina in Women’s Doubles.

However, in an interview with Curly Tales Middle East, Sania explained the reason why it is the right time for her to retire.

“I’m 36, and honestly my body is beaten, that is the main reason for it,” said Sania.

“And I really don’t have the capacity in my mind to emotionally push that much anymore. I turned pro in 2003. Priorities change, and now my priority is not to push my body to the limit every single day.”

READ: ICC announces warm-up fixtures for inaugural U19 Women’s T20 WC