Tennis: Sania Mirza finishes 2016 as doubles World No. 1
The 29-year-old remains the top-ranked player for the second year in a row.
Sania Mirza will finish the year as the World No. 1 in the women's doubles category after holding on to the spot for 81 straight weeks. The announcement was made in Singapore on Sunday at the Women's Tennis Association Finals. This is the second year in a row that Mirza has been given the year-end No. 1 ranking.
"It's very, very exciting to finish two years in a row as No.1," said Mirza to WTA. "It's been an incredible year for me again, with seven WTA titles, a Grand Slam and ending the year at the WTA Finals in Singapore."
Mirza was in danger of being overtaken by United States' Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the WTA Finals, but the American, along with her Czech partner Lucie Safarova lost in the doubles final at the WTA Finals to the Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. Mirza had reunited with her former partner Martina Hingis to take part in the WTA Finals, but had lost in the semi-finals to Makarova and Vesnina.
Mirza and Hingis split up as partners after a stellar 2015 season. Together, they had won 14 titles in 16 months. Later in the year, Mirza teamed up with Barbara Strycova.