New Delhi, April 6: Six-time Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza, who is involved in the Women's Premier League (WPL) as the team mentor of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), said she loves being a 'working mother' while stressing the need to balance one's personal and professional lives.

Speaking to ANI, the face of women's tennis in the country said, "I love being a mother, but I love being a working mother more."

She added that whenever she travels for work, her child is cared for by her mother but she still can't fight off a gnawing 'guilt' that, perhaps, she isn't doing enough for her son Izhaan Mirza Malik.

"I have to leave him back with my mother in Hyderabad, I have to be here...the mother's guilt is real. And no matter how much we give, we always feel like we're not doing enough," Sania said.

"It's not easy, it's challenging, I think being a mother has been one of the greatest honours and pleasures of my life. So for me, my work and everything, I just was trying to find that balance and it is challenging at times. And that's where your family comes into play, your support system comes into play, who help you," the retired tennis star said.

On women empowerment and the opportunities for women in the country to shine in sports, Sania said," We as a, as a nation, as a society, we have to encourage more and more girls to follow their dreams. We have to encourage more and more girls to do what they love, no matter how out of the box it is. And I think that slowly that is happening, but there is always room for improvement."

Sania was in Delhi on Wednesday during an inauguration ceremony of Apollo Spectra Hospitals and Apollo One.
Earlier, during her playing career, she underwent surgeries at the Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad.

Speaking at the event, MBN Rao, chairman of the board, of Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd said, "This boutique hospital exemplifies our commitment to making premium healthcare accessible to all."

Sania married former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik in 2010. The couple announced the birth of their son, Izhaan, in 2018. However, that was before Splittswille happened!

Sania's sister, Anam Mirza, confirmed the former's divorce from Shoaib Malik earlier, saying they had been legally separated for 'some months'.

Taking to her personal handle on Instagram, Anam, who is married to former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin's son Assaduddin, confirmed Sania's divorce from Shoaib, posting, "Sania has always kept her personal life away from the public eye. However, today the need has arisen for her to share that Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now. She wishes Shoaib well for his new journey ahead!"

The statement came after the former Pakistan all-rounder tied the knot with Pakistani actress Sana Javed.

(ANI)

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