Sania Mirza returns to Fed Cup squad after maternity break

Indian ace Sania Mirza, who took a long sabbatical from the game to have a child, returned to the Indian Fed Cup squad after a span of four years. The 33-year-old was named in the five-member team, featuring the country’s top singles player Ankita Raina.

The former doubles world number one and six-time Grand Slam winner had earlier announced her return to competitive tennis next year and that she will be back to competitive tennis at Hobart International in January 2020. Sania last played Fed Cup in 2016 and has been out of action since October 2017 as she took a two-year break to start a family.

The five-member squad has Riya Bhatia (379), Rutuja Bhosale (466), and Karman Kaur Thandi (568). Ankita, who is ranked 180 in the WTA singles chart, is believed to be a winning prospect and seems to be way above her compatriots. Former Davis Cupper Vishal Uppal will be seen captaining the Indian side, while former Fed Cupper Ankita Bhambri has been named the coach of the side, that will have Sowjanya Bavisetti as the reserve player.

The tennis star missed the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons after giving birth to son Izhaan in October last year. Before taking a sabbatical from the game, Sania won the Brisbane International with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in 2017, and also reached the latter stages of events in Doha, Sydney, Dubai, Barbora Strycova and Miami. Along with Shuai Peng, Sania reached the semis of the US Open in 2017, which was her last Grand Slam appearance. Wuhan and Beijing were her last tournaments before she decided to take a break to have a child.

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Sania is making a comeback at Hobart International with Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok, the current world number 38. Before her maternity break, Sania won six doubles Grand Slam titles -- including three mixed -- achieved the number one rank, won medals at multi-disciplinary events apart from laying hands on a year-end WTA Finale title with Swiss great Martina Hingis.