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Parenting as a celebrity – be it as an actor, successful sportsperson or any other pursuit, comes with its own set of challenges, and former tennis star Sania Mirza is well aware of it. In an interview, Sania opened up about raising her son, Izhaan Mirza Malik, and how she is helping him understand the pressures that come with being the child of two successful sportspersons. “Izhaan is born into a family of high achievers. The public eye is constantly on him. Even before he was born, I was being asked if he’s going to be playing cricket or tennis,” Sania told News18. “I understand where that’s coming from. I know that the intention isn’t bad but it’s just ridiculous that someone who isn’t even on earth yet was expected to choose between two sports! And this question is going to be a part of his journey for a long time,” she said. Sania said she wanted her son to grow up without feeling the weight of expectations. While Izhaan currently enjoys playing football, she has made it clear to him that he should pursue what he truly loves. “I’ve already sat him down and spoken to him about the pressure that the world is going to impose on him. I’ve explained to him that it’s okay to lose and that it’s okay to not play a sport if he doesn’t want to. Just because I’m his mother, people expect him to play but the odds of that are very small,” she said. The six-time Grand Slam winner admitted that parenting comes with unique challenges given her family’s fame. “As parents, we’ve to protect him and try to normalise his life as much as possible. Having said that, I’ve to understand that I can’t fully normalise it. I’ve to accept that the set-up he’s in isn’t normal. I can’t be in denial and say that he’s a normal child,” she told News18. Sania revealed that the realisation struck her when Izhaan was just four years old. “I remember he had once asked me how everyone knows my name and why people come and ask me for a picture. He asked the same question to his father. For Izhaan, that’s his normal,” she recalled.
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Now seven, Izhaan is beginning to understand the difference between his life and that of his school friends. “The parents of his friends in his school do a nine-to-five job. They go to work in the morning,” Sania said, adding that her flexible schedule comes with both advantages and drawbacks. “There are pros to it as well as I’m always available to pick him up and drop him off to school. On the other hand, he also knows that I’m often away from him for four-five days at a stretch for work.” Izhaan, who currently plays for the U-8 football team of Italian club Juventus, continues to adapt to a life that’s far from ordinary, and one his mother is determined to keep as balanced and grounded as possible.
