Peyton Stearns is the first player in the Open Era to win three consecutive WTA matches in third-set tiebreakers

Former doubles No. 1 Mirza had a son, Izhaan, with husband and cricket player Shoaib Malik while sidelined with a knee injury. She is aiming to come back in the second half of next season.

"Tennis is in my blood. It’s just that priorities change when you’re expecting. You want to have a healthy baby, you want to be healthy," she told the Times of India.

The 32-year-old had not previously announced whether she would play again. "I've never been a huge planner," she said. "So I saw no point in talking about that I would be doing or if I would come back."

Advertising

Living life in the fast lane can be fun !!! It’s time to say hello to the world 😀 pic.twitter.com/PVBU987wjc
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) December 22, 2018

But Mirza says she is committed to playing again at a high level, and will be emphasizing physical fitness since she has also had three surgeries during her career. "Anything I do I want to do it properly," she said. "I would like to come back and compete at the level I competed at. I want to be the best mother, best player I can be."

Mirza will join a growing group of WTA mothers, which includes Grand Slam champions Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. Elena Vesnina is among those also planning to return to tour.

In 2019, the ATP, WTA—and so much more—are on Tennis Channel Plus:

Advertising