Every partnership rides its course: Sania Mirza

You have a new partner, China's Shuai Peng, for the hard-court season. Looking forward to the hard courts as well as the new partnership?

I'm really looking forward to it. We've known each other for a long time, and we've played some great matches against each other. We'll be together for the first time now, so I'm really excited about that. It has been a tough couple of months for me in terms of partnerships – partners getting injured just before Grand Slams and everything being up in the air till the last minute. So, yes, really looking forward to this partnership, which we will begin in Toronto.

Talking of partners, you've had to play with three different partners since the start of the year for various reasons, and will play with a fourth in Peng (see box). How frustrating can it get if you have to frequently change partners?

It's been really tough, certainly the last couple of months. What makes it worse is that it's something that is not in your control. When you're playing well, hitting the ball well and things like these happen, you know things are not going your way. It's not really in your control, and that's the most frustrating part. At least if there was an issue under your control, you can try to close the problem. But this has been tough to deal with, no doubt about it. Having said that, it's still been a decent year for me. I've played the final of a Grand Slam (mixed doubles at Australian Open) and have won a title (in Brisbane). So, I have to look into the positives under these circumstances.

How do you go about the business of picking partners, especially if you have to do that every couple of months?

First of all, you have to find someone who complements your game. Secondly, you need someone with whom you can gel with off the court. The chemistry becomes really important. And I've literally had to find a partner in a matter of few days, because (Yaroslava) Shvedova told me a few days before the Wimbledon that she was going to be injured. So I was like, what is going on. I had to find someone just at the last moment.

But does it get easier for you to find partners now than before?

The problem is not about finding a partner, it's more about the way you play with someone, and when you ask someone to play with you just for two months. It gets difficult that way, because everyone is more or less fixed at any given point of time. And unless their partner gets injured or something, they're not going to leave and play with you, especially if it's just for two months. So, that's why it gets difficult to find someone good enough.

It's a bit ironic that you had a long and fruitful partnership with Martina Hingis from March 2015 to August 2016 and are now unable to find long-term partners. Do you sometimes sit back and wish that things were back to how they were before?

No, I don't, to be honest. I think every partnership rides its course. And ours did as well. After we split, I've won four tournaments. It's not that I haven't won after that. But yes, I had a great partner and we had a great partnership, but unfortunately it had to come to an end at some point. There's not a lot you can do about it. So, I don't really think about that. We've both moved on from that. It's been a year now since we split, and we're both doing really well and we're both very happy with our individual partnerships.

After a great couple of years, this year has seen a lull for you, with just one title so far in Brisbane. Is it easier to handle ups and downs at this stage of your career or is there more pressure of maintaining the performance?

I've been World No. 1 for two years now, so of course there's no pressure. But yes at this stage, I have to look just at the positives. Obviously, I expected a lot more from myself and so did everybody else, considering how I've performed over the last two years.

But it's just a phase and you have to deal with it. You're going to have these ups and downs in your career, and you have to always come out. This is not the first time, and if I keep playing, it won't be the last time. I sort of know how to handle it now. You've got to keep your head down and keep working hard, and hope for the results to come.

But because of the frequent changes of partners, do you have to reset your individual goals?

Yes, most definitely. But anyway I'm not a person who puts numbers on my goals. I don't really say, 'Oh OK this year I want to win X number of tournaments or X number of Grand Slams'. I don't really do that. I just want to try to win every tournament that I play. That's just how I've been all my life. I try and do my best every time, and hope to step up at the right time in big tournaments.

You ended 2015 and 2016 as World No. 1 in doubles, and are down to No. 7 now. Does the rankings drop bother you?

I actually don't (smiles). It's great to be No. 1 in the world, and that is the goal with which we all play. I've been fortunate enough to be there almost two years and twice at the end of the year. And that's incredible, because people aren't able to do that ever in their lives. I've been extremely blessed. So, I'm not really bothered about the drop in rankings. If I play my best in every tournament, the law of averages will come into play at the end of the day.

So if you were granted a wish, what would you choose right now: No. 1 ranking or a consistent, long-term partner?

Oh, it would definitely be the No. 1 ranking (laughs).

SANIA TALKS

On women's cricket team's World Cup show uplifting women's sport in India

I really hope so. That's the goal we're all fighting for. We always talk about champions coming out of India in different sports. But we also need to recognize them, inspire them and encourage them. Fortunately or unfortunately, it took the women's team of the country to reach the World Cup final for everybody to notice them. I don't think that's fair at all. They deserved credit for a long time.

I know Mithali Raj personally, and she's been doing an unbelievable job for a long time. People were not really interested all this while, and now everybody is asking everybody about the women's cricket team. So I just hope that this euphoria around them doesn't end. As an Indian, I felt really proud that they reached the final of a World Cup, and it was an incredible effort from them. I hope they continue their good run and build on this for bigger and greater things to come.

On Roger Federer winning his 8th Wimbledon and 19th Grand Slam title

I mean, it's not just incredible anymore. He's a genius. What is more amazing is the fact that he's doing it at the age he's at: when everybody thought he was over the hill, and when everybody thought that he was not going to win anything anymore when he had the surgery last year. So yes, he's a genius, as simple as that. I've always been a Roger fan, and I couldn't be happier.

Merry-go-round with partners

After her split with Martina Hingis last August, Sania Mirza has had indifferent luck in terms of having a steady partner...

Barbara Strycova: August 2016 to April 2017

Won two titles together but split because Strycova wanted to focus more on her singles career

Yaroslava Shvedova: May 2017 to June 2017

Shvedova pulled out of Wimbledon due to injury, leaving Sania just three days to find a partner

Kirsten Flipkens: July 2017 to July 2017

Joining forces merely as a stop-gap arrangement, Sania and Flipkens lost in Wimbledon pre-quarterfinals

Shuai Peng: August 2017 till date

Sania has decided to team up with China's Shuai Peng for the hard-court season heading into US Open