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Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza has opened up about her initiative "Next Set," which supports and empowers young women athletes across India, particularly in tennis.
The initiative, designed to support India's top and emerging women athletes, also aims to provide structured, professional backing to women already competing at a high level. Further, it aims to bridge the gap between talent and performance by creating a dependable ecosystem around promising athletes. Speaking to ANI, Mirza said the idea stemmed from her own experiences of navigating the sport without a strong systemic support structure. "The aim is to try to take the "Next Set" to the next level and help young athletes all over the country with different sports, but in general, I felt like we needed some help coming our way in tennis. There are a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure, a lot of financial pressure, and all kinds of things," the 39-year-old said. Highlighting the disparity in resources between Indian players and their international counterparts, the former Indian tennis player said that many young players struggle to afford essential support systems such as coaches, physiotherapists, and trainers. "So what happens is they are competing against people who have multiple people travelling with them, along with really good support staff, and we are not able to afford it because there is no solid system helping these tennis players. I know the struggles that I went through, and hence that's the reason I've been thinking about it, and we've got some great people helping us, and we give them support," she said. Under the "Next Set" initiative, Mirza revealed that players will have access to a travelling support team, including a physio, coach, and trainer, during Indian tournaments. The program will also host multiple camps throughout the year, where Mirza herself will mentor athletes, share her experiences, and provide guidance--including financial assistance wherever possible. "Right now, we have a physio, a coach, and a trainer travelling with them in the Indian tournaments, which are happening. And we're going to try to provide that. We're going to have multiple camps throughout the year, which I will be part of to share my experience and help them with any kind of financial stuff that we are able to do. And that is how the "Next Set" came into play, to give these young girls a platform to play on an equal field," the former Indian tennis star said. Mirza also reflected on the limited facilities and support systems available to women athletes during her playing days, saying her initiative "Next Set" is designed to ensure the next generation does not face the same struggles. Mirza added that when she turned professional, structured backing in areas such as equipment, coaching teams, physios, and mental conditioning was either limited or difficult to afford. "In my playing days, there was nothing right. When I turned professional, a lot changed over time. Overall, it was neither great nor easy to afford. We didn't have people doing initiatives like this, so I think there is a need of the hour to do something like this to help us build champions--you know, one soon after the other, not in long gaps between them," the six-time Grand Slam winner told ANI. "So yeah, the attempt is to ease and help these young girls, the way I didn't have it when I was playing," she added. Through "Next Set," Mirza says she hopes to streamline support for emerging women athletes and contribute to building a sustainable pipeline of champions in Indian tennis, reducing the long gaps between generations of top-level players. (ANI)
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