Sania Mirza posted Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Pepsi advertisement, in which the actress criticizes those who pass judgment on women’s decisions, including when they get married and what they wear. The accomplished tennis player, who has been a part of India’s global competitions since her adolescence, reflected on the hurtful remarks she had received, and wrote a lengthy message about the emotions that were rekindled after viewing Samantha’s ad.
Sania wrote, “Watching this film brings back so many memories. How people commented ‘What will a women’s tennis player achieve? Tennis is not a sport for women. How far can she even go?’ But I followed my dream, never gave up because I believed in myself and did not give into what society had to say about me. I rose above doubt, trashy statements, with determination and will power to achieve success…”
Sania further wrote, “For me, ‘rise up baby’ represents the resilience and determination required to achieve greatness. This new ad by @pepsiindia and @samantharuthprabhuoffl is the perfect inspiration for young women today to keep pushing and rise up to achieve their dreams.”
During her long tennis career, Sania, who turned professional in 2003 as a 16-year-old, was often in news for not only her game, but also her personal life. From what she wore during matches to her marrying Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and having a baby – Sania has often opened up about facing judgement for her choices. In 2016, Sania Mirza was asked about her plans for motherhood and ‘settling down’ during a TV interview, and her response to the question termed ‘sexist’ by many was lauded on social media at the time.
“You sound disappointed I’m not choosing motherhood over being number one in the world,” she said, adding, “but I’ll answer your question anyway. That’s the question I face all the time as a woman, that all women have to face – the first is marriage and then it’s motherhood. Unfortunately that’s when we’re settled, and no matter how many Wimbledons we win or number ones in the world we become, we don’t become settled. But eventually it will happen, not right now. And when it does happen I’ll be the first one to tell everybody when I plan to do that,” Sania had said during an interview with India Today.
Sania and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib were married in 2010. They have a son named Izhaan Mirza Malik, who was born in October 2018. Sania had moved to Dubai after the wedding. Reports of her and Shoaib’s alleged separation have been circulating since last year.
