Sania Mirza is not apologetic for being one of a kind.

A few people chose to call her a trailblazer while some labelled her a rebel. She says she is neither and has just lived life “on her own terms”.

Sania has achievements to her credit that no Indian female tennis player has enjoyed and which are unlikely to be emulated in the recent future.

During a free-wheeling chat at her villa in Dubai, Sania implored the society to accept differences in opinion and not brand as “villain or heroes” the people who dare to do things in their own way.

“I don’t think that I broke the rules. Who are these people who are making these rules and who are these people who are saying this is the norm and this is the stereotype?

“I think each individual is different and each individual should have the freedom to be different,” Sania said in an exclusive interview, before bidding adieu to her tennis career.

The 36-year-old Indian added, “I think that’s where as a society we can probably do better, a little bit where we are trying to hail people or make people the bad guys just because they are doing something differently.

“And I don’t necessarily think that I was some kind of a great rule-breaker or some trendsetter. That’s not what I was trying to do. I was living my life.

“We all say things differently, we all have different opinions. I think once we all accept that we are all different, and we can co-exist with those differences is when it will not be about breaking the rules anymore.”

Holder of six grand slam doubles titles and a year-end WTA Championships trophy to go with a career-best singles rank of 27, if Sania is not a trend-setter then what is she?

“I look at myself as trying to be as authentic as possible. I’ve tried to stay true to myself. And I have tried to live life on my own terms.

“I think everybody should be able to do that and have the freedom to do that without being told that you are breaking the rules because you are doing something that you want to do,” she said.

“I might have been different to you, but that doesn’t mean that I am someone who is a rebel, or someone who is breaking some kind of rules. It’s just my individuality and another person’s individuality,” Sania added.

In the not too distant past, women athletes had to struggle to pursue a career in sport. Sania was fortunate that her parents let her follow her tennis dreams.

“A young woman is considered complete only when she gets married, has a kid. One of the reasons for my comeback and playing as a mother was to show that you can be a champion and still have a complete life,” she said.

‘Dream week’ for Alcaraz

Buenos Aires: Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed a dream return to action as the world No.2 won the Argentina Open here on Sunday by beating Cameron Norrie 6-3, 7-5 in the final.

Alcaraz was out for more than three months due to abdominal and hamstring injuries.

The top seed won the US Open in September and became the youngest player to top the world rankings at 19 years old. But he suffered an abdominal injury at the Paris Masters in November before pulling out of the Australian Open with a leg injury.

“It’s been a great week for me, a dream week after a long time with no competition. Coming to Buenos Aires and showing the level I showed is amazing and really special. It has been an emotional week too,” Alcaraz said.

“I had the chance to win the match at 5-3 and he broke my serve easily,” Alcaraz said. “But I knew I had to be calm and try to wait for my moment and it came at 6-5. It was a great match.”

Reuters