Sania Mirza is a six-time grand slam champion, a former world doubles champion, and a four-time Olympian. Her illustrated career spanning two decades speaks for itself. However, her retirement from the game in February 2023 left many fans disappointed over her decision. For Sania, retirement heralded a new phase of life. Since tennis was her passion and she devoted much of her life to the game, what better way could have been than starting an academy to groom talents? Today, besides her involvement in the academy, she participates in television shows and other activities to keep herself engaged.

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In a recent interview with CNBC-TV18,she spoke about her tennis academy, retirement, her views about money and life in general post-retirement. Her opinions about life and her enthusiasm to do more for the game and society will motivate her fans and others who may have found themselves at a crossroads or disillusioned with lots of time on hand after retirement.

She touched upon three broad areas in the interview for a happy and fulfilled life. 

Love Yourself:

This advice is helpful for everybody, whether you are working or retired. As a young mother in her late thirties, she emphasises caring for ‘self’. “Love Yourself! Young mothers forget to love themselves because we get so indulged and obsessed with our children, which is a huge and important part of us, but that’s not our only identity. That’s not the only thing that can define us always. Self-love is always important; you can do things that make you happy and not feel guilty about it,” she said in the interview. This outlook towards life also applies to those in retirement years. Loneliness is a huge issue for senior citizens. So, loving yourself, valuing yourself, and staying engaged socially are the keys to a happy retirement.

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Keep Yourself Engaged:

Retirement brings ample free time, so it is vital to use time productively. Like Sania did, explore activities that interest you to keep you engaged, even better, if they generate income. She said, “After retirement, I wanted to evolve more. It’s been nice to discover new things once you finish your career.” She spends her time with her family and managing the academy.

So, young or old, you may explore something to keep yourself productively engaged. For this purpose, start planning early so you do not feel isolated and lonely post-retirement.

Relationship With Money:

Keep exploring new ideas and keep improving your existing assignments. Like Mirza says, “My relationship with money has changed. We didn’t come from a background where we could do whatever we wanted. We came from a normal middle-class family that was going month-to-month.” She adds, “Somewhere, I still have it in me. If I could get the same product for Rs 2,000 or 1,500, would I go for Rs 2,000? Probably not. That’s just how I have been brought up. Having said that, do I feel that I can buy something for 20,000? Yes, I can.”

Your relationship with money is vital. Earnings and savings are necessary, but so are managing and spending money. Therefore, understand your relationship with money and improve it with time so that by the time you retire, you know how to enjoy money instead of just how to manage it.