Sania Mirza embarks on sacred journey of Hajj to seek ‘spiritual renewal’

Indian tennis icon Sania Mirza is all set to embark on a "sacred journey" of Hajj with to seek "redemption and spiritual renewal", the former world No.1 in doubles announced in a social media post.

Sania shared a post on Instagram which read, "Dear friends and loved ones, have been blessed with the incredible opportunity to embark on the sacred journey of Hajj. As I prepare for this transformative experience, humbly ask for your forgiveness for any wrongdoings and shortcomings. My heart is filled with gratitude for this chance to seek redemption and spiritual renewal.

"I pray that Allah accepts my prayers and guides me on this blessed path. am deeply fortunate and feel immensely grateful. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I embark on this journey of a lifetime. hope to come back as a better human being with a humble heart and stronger imaan."

Hajj is the sacred pilgrimage performed by Muslims at the holy mosque of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. This year, Hajj is taking place between June 14 to 19 in the Gregorian Calendar.

A six-time Grand Slam champion, Sania ended her glittering career at last year's Australian Open where she along with her mixed doubles partner Rohan Bopanna lost to Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos in the final.

She won her first major at the Australian Open in 2009, capturing the mixed title with Mahesh Bhupathi. She went on to win mixed doubles at the 2012 French Open and 2014 US Open.

In 2015, Sania joined forces with Martina Hingis and the duo went on to win three straight majors, capturing the titles at 2015 Wimbledon and US Open along with the 2016 Australian Open.

Sania rose to Doubles No.1 for the first time in April 2015, becoming the first Indian woman to hold the No.1 ranking on the WTA Tour.

Indo-Asian News Service