How did Sania Mirza perform in her previous 3 Olympics appearances?
At the age of 34, Sania Mirza continues to defy all odds and expectations. She is still inspiring millions of people every day with her performances on the tennis court, and doesn't seem likely to stop any time soon.
After taking a break in 2018 to give birth to her first child, Sania made a sensational return in 2020. The Indian won the very first tournament of her comeback, at the Hobart International in Australia, alongside Nadiia Kichenok.
Sania Mirza has represented India in numerous tournaments since 2008, and has taken part in three editions of the Olympics so far. She will now be making her fourth appearance; Sania has entered the women's doubles at the Tokyo Olympics alongside Ankita Raina, looking to win her first medal at the Games.
On that note, here's a look at Sania's performances for India at the Olympics since 2008:
#1 Beijing Olympics 2008
Sania Mirza was at the peak of her singles game in the late 2000s. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 27 in August 2007 and was looking strong heading into the 2008 Olympics.
The Indian had reached the third round of the Australian Open that year, losing to seven-time Slam champion Venus Williams. Needless to say, Sania was India's strongest hope of getting a medal in the singles category at Beijing.
Unfortunately for her though, she had to retire midway through her first-round match against Czech Republic's Iveta Benesova due to an injury to her right wrist. In the doubles category, Sania, alongside Sunitha Rao, lost in the second round to Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina.
India's woes continued in the men's doubles too, with the golden pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi losing in the quarters to Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka. Federer and Wawrinka famously went on to win the gold medal.
The injury to Sania's wrist would go on to bother her for a long time. It eventually led to a sharp decline in her singles performances, and made her switch permanently from singles to doubles.
#2 London Olympics 2012
The 2012 Olympics in London turned out to be a dull affair for the Indian tennis contingent despite the fact that it was the most successful Olympics overall in the country's history. India ended up winning two silver medals and four bronze medals at that edition of the Games.
Sania Mirza took part in the doubles alongside Rushmi Chakravarthi. The pair received a wildcard into the women's doubles category and were up against Chinese Taipei's Chuang Chia-jung and Hsieh Su-Wei in the first round.
The Indian pair couldn't make much of an impact, as they lost 1-6, 6-3, 1-6.
In the mixed doubles category, Sania Mirza partnered with Leander Paes. They got off to a great start in the first round, defeating the talented pair of Ana Ivanovic and Nenad Zimonjic. Unfortunately for them though, they lost a hard-fought battle to Victoria Azarenka and Max Miryni in the quarterfinals, going down 5-7, 6-7(5).
The Belarusian pair would go on to win the gold medal, defeating Andy Murray and Laura Robson in a thriller of a final.
#3 Rio Olympics 2016
By 2016, Sania Mirza had established herself as a doubles legend. She had three Slams to her name in women's doubles with Martina Hingis, and a further three in the mixed doubles category. Sania ended 2015 as the World No. 1 in doubles, with 10 titles to her name that year.
Partnering Rohan Bopanna at the 2016 Olympics, much was expected from Sania Mirza in Rio. The duo raced their way to the semifinals, defeating the experienced pair of John Peers and Sam Stosur of Australia in the first round and Andy Murray and Heather Watson of Great Britain in the second.
Up against Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram of the USA in the semis, Sania and Bopanna got off to a great start, winning the first set 6-2. However, it all went downhill from there; a slew of mixed opportunities and unforced errors led to a three-set loss to the American pair.
Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna had a chance to win a bronze medal the very next day. But they lost in the playoff too, going down 1-6, 6-7 to Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic.