Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on Monday won the Fed Cup Heart Award from the Asia/Oceania zone for her performance on return from maternity break earlier this year. She became the first Indian to win the Fed Cup Heart Award and she dedicated the award to the entire country.
The Fed Cup Heart Award winners were determined via online voting by fans which went on for a week starting from May 1.
Sania’s vote share of over 60 per cent of the total votes is a testimony to the global popularity of the Indian star at the Fed Cup competition. The Fed Cup Heart Award is an International Tennis Federation (ITF) initiative that was established in 2009 to recognise those Fed Cup players who represent their countries with distinction, show exceptional courage on court and demonstrate outstanding commitment to the ideals of the competition.
“It’s an honour to win the Fed Cup Heart Award as the first Indian. I dedicate this award to the entire country and to all my fans and thank everyone for voting for me. I hope to bring more laurels to the country in the future,” she said in a statement issued by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).
Sania made a comeback to Fed Cup after four years and helped India qualify for the play-offs for the first time in history.
After giving birth to her son, Izhaan in October 2018, Sania returned to the court in January this year and instantly achieved success by clinching the women’s doubles title at Hobart International alongside Nadiia Kichenok.
