Aryna Sabalak (AFP) CHENNAI: Sania Mirza knows a thing or two about fighting in the final set to win the title. In the 2015 Wimbledon doubles final, she partnered Martina Hingis to become the first Indian woman to lift the trophy.For the 39-year-old, Carlos Alcaraz’s stunning victory over Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open semi-finals on Friday was the kind of performance that truly defines a champion. In a tete-a-tete with TOI, Sania spoke about Alcaraz’s ability to bounce back, the controversy surrounding the medical timeout that upset Zverev and why Aryna Sabalenkova looks like the player to beat in the women’s final.
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excerpts:What mental strength did Alcaraz need to fight the convulsions and still win?That’s why it is world number one. At the end of the day, the question is why hasn’t Zverev won a Grand Slam when you have Alcaraz who is much younger and has won so many already. The fact is that the kind of tennis and heart that Alcaraz showed, even when he was not physically fully capable, is truly incredible. You don’t come out of matches like that without the guts and courage he showed. It is definitely something that defines a champion.Zverev was visibly upset about the medical timeout Alcaraz took and even accused the officials of “protecting two players (Alcaraz and Sinner)”. Was it just the heat of the moment or was there some truth to it?Understandably, he was upset. Obviously, there are some gray areas when it comes to convulsions…where you’re not allowed to have a certain amount of convulsion treatment and things like that. But the fact is that Alcaraz didn’t do anything that was out of line. That said, you can understand the frustration Zverev felt as Alcaraz took a medical timeout before Zverev’s serve. According to tennis etiquette, a player takes a medical time-out before his own serve, not before his opponent’s serve. So you can understand where Zverev was coming from.How hard will it be for Alcaraz to recover in time and be ready for the finals?I think he will now put all his energy into trying to recover because that is the most important thing at this stage. How do you recover from something like this? Because the work is not done yet. But at the end of the day, I feel this is someone who will find a way to heal. And I definitely believe, now even more, that he will become one of the best tennis players of all time.How much has Alcaraz’s revamped serve helped him, especially on hard courts?There is more pop to his delivery with the revamped action. There’s more of an action change he’s made…he keeps her at the bottom a bit longer before he reaches her peak. It definitely helps him win a few more free service points.What do you think of Sabalenka’s dominance and how close is this version of her to the standard Serena Williams once set?I think she’s a good mix of Serena and Maria Sharapova – in terms of her strokes, strength, commitment and grunt, all combined. But definitely, with how dominant she’s been the last few years, it’s hard not to think of her as someone who could hit double figures at Grand Slams. I think it’s still too early to tell if she’ll do what Serena did in the game. But I definitely think it has flashes because of the kind of raw power it brings.How do you see the Sabalenka – Elena Rybakina final going?I think that if there is anyone who can beat Sabalenko, it is Rybakina in my opinion. That’s because ball for ball and pound for pound, Rybakina can match Sabalenka. She has probably the best serve in the women’s game. Hits the ball really big and flat. He plays really well and hits the big ball. So I feel that Rybakina is not without a chance, especially since she is also a Grand Slam champion. But based on recent form, I think Sabalenka will win.At the Aus Open, there were some concerns about player privacy. What do you think about it?Consent is a very big thing in this. I’m not saying that because we’re public figures we shouldn’t be photographed or that there shouldn’t be cameras. But it was a vulnerable moment for Coco, and if the cameras are on, maybe consent is something to look at.(Watch Australian Open 2026 Women’s Singles Final on January 31 and Men’s Singles Final on February 1, 2026 live from 2:00 PM on Sony Sports TEN 2 and live on Sony LIV.)
