Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on Sunday ended her path-breaking journey as a player at the place where it all began with “happy tears”.

By playing in exhibition matches featuring Rohan Bopanna, her ‘best friend’ Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Ivan Dodig, Cara Black and Marion Bartoli, Sania said goodbye to her illustrious career at the Lal Bahadur Tennis Stadium, the venue where she signalled her arrival on the big stage with a historic WTA singles title triumph nearly two decades ago.

The exhibition games were watched by many eminent personalities, including union law minister Kiren Rijiju, former India cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Huma Qureshi, Dulquer Salmaan, her fans, family, friends, sporting personalities and students of the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy.

The six-time grand slam winner — three in women’s doubles and as many in mixed doubles — who turned emotional while giving her farewell speech, said the greatest honour for her has been to play for the country for 20 years.

Spectators, mostly schoolchildren, cheered her as she entered the court.

Sania Mirza with son Izhaan on Sunday. PTI photo

“I am so excited to play my last match in front of you all. I have always wanted to play and express my gratitude by playing my last match in front of my home crowd in Hyderabad, and I’m so thankful to the government of Telangana for making this happen,” she said ahead of the match.

Sania, who thanked everyone for supporting her in her journey, said, “The greatest honour for me has been to play for my country for 20 years. It is every athlete’s dream to represent their country at the highest level. I was able to do that. It’s been 20-plus years. A lot of great things in my life started from this stadium here.

“It has come a long way. It came from a time when nobody believed that tennis was an option.

“Whether it was a girl or a boy, especially for a girl from Hyderabad. My parents were the only ones who believed in me...my sister and my family.

“There were people who said that we couldn’t do it, we were crazy...and I don’t blame them for saying that (as) 30 years ago, no one ever thought that we would be standing in a stadium full of people like this,” Sania said.

“My parents have made me who I am and my sister made me who I am,” Saina further said.

“I didn’t think that I was going to get emotional today. But, these are really, really happy tears. I could not have asked for a better send-off,” she said.

Though she may have retired, Sania said she is going to be a part of tennis and sports in India and in Telangana.

She hoped that “many, many Sanias” would emerge in the country and many more amazing athletes will come out from this stadium and this country.

“I am going to stop playing tennis. But, I will be part of tennis. I am going to be part of Indian sports and sports in Telangana for the rest of my life.”

Former India cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, whose son is married to Sania’s younger sister Anam, praised her contribution to tennis.

“I think today we are giving a great farewell to Sania. What she has done for tennis, for women in India and all over the world, I think, it is an example.

“I wish her all the best,” Azharuddin told reporters.

“I know people would want her to continue to play more. But every career has to end. I think she has taken the right decision,” he said.