Sania Mirza gets real about pressure to perform on court as an athlete

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza wants the world to know how hard the life of an athlete really is.

In a long, heartfelt note shared on Instagram, tennis star Sania Mirza spoke about the pressure, expectations, heartbreak, triumph and pain an athlete has to go through. 

Mirza, who is also the wife of former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, posted her emotional note after crashing out of the ongoing US Open.

Her US Open 2021 campaign ended early after she and her mixed doubles partner Rajeev Ram lost in the opening round match at the Flushing Meadows in New York Friday. The Indo-American duo lost to Australia's Max Purcell and Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska by 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.

"An athlete's life is filled with heartbreak and triumph day after day, week after week .. it's filled tears and laughter..with pain and hard work..with injuries and finding the strength to get back from them," Mirza wrote.

She said there is pressure to perform your best every time you step on the court.

The Indian tennis star highlighted the doubt and anger one feels about not winning. "We pick ourselves up after a tough loss and work harder, we wipe off the tears and we sweat more ..the team and family does all that with you, the emotion and joy, the tears, the pain, the sweat and blood is all real and something we go through everyday," she wrote.

She said it is a choice and a privilege to play at the highest level and belief is what keeps athletes going.

Mirza believes the most important thing is to show up and to give everything you've got every single day.

She concluded her note with a special mention of her fans, family and friends, whose support, she said, she is "forever grateful for".