WATCH | Sania Mirza gets a fitting farewell, breaks down after playing her final Grand Slam at Australia Open

One of the finest sporting personalities in India, Sania Mirza broke down in tears as she ended her illustrious Grand Slam journey with a defeat in the Australian Open mixed doubles final.

 

On Friday, the Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos emerged triumphant, beating the Indian duo of Sania and Rohan Bopanna 7-6, 6-2 in the final.

 

Coming into her final Major tournament, Sania had six Grand Slam titles - three women's doubles and as many mixed doubles - in her cabinet. The 42-year-old Bopanna has one French Open mixed doubles title to his credit.

 

 

After the conclusion of the game, Sania greeted the Brazilian pair, lauding them for the deserved win. But, as she started to speak about her journey, the ace tennis star struggled to hold back tears.

 

"Rohan was my first-ever mixed-doubles partner at (aged) 14 and we won the nationals," said Mirza, a six-time Grand Slam champion, three in doubles and three in mixed.

 

"It was a long time ago, 22 years ago, and I couldn't think of a better person -- he's one of my best friends and best partners -- to finish my career here and to play the final. There's no better place for me, or person for me, to finish my Grand Slam career."

 

"I never thought that I would be able to play in front of my child in a Grand Slam final, so it's truly special to have my four-year-old and my parents here," she said.

 

Sania was the first Indian to win a WTA singles title, in 2005 at her hometown Hyderabad. She reached the fourth round of the US Open the same year and by 2007 was among the women's top 30. But a wrist injury caused her to concentrate on doubles, forging a partnership with Swiss great Martina Hingis which produced three Grand Slam titles.