The leap from the 30s to the rarefied top-10 of the rankings fords a chasm that only those who have attempted can truly quantify. The challenge for Sania Mirza just got tougher as she looks set to break into the exclusive club where the top pros hunt. But the word from those in the know is a simple “wait and watch”.

“Moving to the top 50 is definitely easier as it can be done even by clearing a few rounds consistently in small tournaments. To be top-10 one needs to do better in bigger events against the best in the world. Give Sania (Mirza) two years and she’ll get there. Stop pushing her,” says Mirza’s agent and MD of Globosports Mahesh Bhupathi. Ramanathan Krishnan who made two Wimbledon semis and won 58 tournaments in his career says, “It’s a different dimension of tennis from here on. The players are tougher both physically and mentally. It is tough to get to be 30 but it is much more tougher to get beyond.” However, even he is not too keen on discussion on whether Mirza is ready for the big league.
“She is moving forward slowly. It takes time. Her critics and fans need to understand that and ease off.” The concern of millions who have found a new sporting icon — that too in a sport that is global and not the purview of a handful of nations — is perhaps not about being pushy but as to whether Mirza’s advisers are doing all that it takes to go all the way.

Modern athletes have a trainer and a physio along with a travelling coach who implements a programme envisioned by a pundit who does not always travel. Rafael Nadal is a prime example of an entourage tuned to ensure he hums like a well-oiled machine day after dreary day on tour. As of now Mirza has faltered on having specialists consistently on her payroll. A good trainer costs in the vicinity of $3,000 per week, and so does a travel coach. For someone with career prize money exceeding $800,000 that should not matter.
“It’s definitely not about the money. It’s more to do with what Sania really feels is best for her. She is going to get another trainer soon who will travel with her when the travelling coach is not,” explains Bhupathi. “Sania’s fitness levels are not those of top-10 players. That’s not to say that she is unfit but she needs more bulk to play the big game,” says Davis Cup coach Nandan Bal. “The chances of getting hurt after four to five tough weeks really increase unless the body has the reserves to sustain the load.” That trainer is urgently required and perhaps full time for at 5’8” Mirza is much smaller to the likes of the 6’2” Maria Sharapova who she must overcome if she is to journey all the way to the top. Muscle can compensate for inches.

The reams devoted to Mirza’s serve leave little unsaid. The plain bit is that a heavy reliance on the slice and a lack of variation takes the sting out of the second serve. That is the main technical lacunae that needs a seasoned eye. While her immediate family has built her game to this level it may be time to start consulting some more astute tennis brains if the aspirations of one and the expectations of millions are to finally come together in a blossom of tennis glory.