The other worry in the family is that the relentless barrage of sensational stories Sania has been subjected to ever since she zoomed to stardom in 2005, from the silly hullabaloo about her short tennis skirt to the scrap over her entry into the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, may begin to sap her confidence and morale. Most of these off-court controversies, unfortunately, have been media-manufactured, with a little help, of course, from politicians, as in the Mecca Masjid case. But it’s impossible to build a firewall between the tennis star and the media frenzy — like most young people, Sania loves to surf the net.

In any case, it’s not as if she can escape thinking about her off-court problems by shutting out the media and doing what she loves to do most — play tennis. This year at the Australian Open, for instance, one top player greeted her solicitously with “Is everything going to be all right for you?” He was referring to the flag controversy.

Tennis, along with golf, is the only truly global sport. More than 225 countries compete in tennis at the highest level. So to play consistently at the very top level not only requires great ability but also extreme mental toughness. Sania has spoken about how the off-court controversies have begun to affect her game. When she lost her confidence midway through her match with Bacsinszky, the question uppermost in everyone’s mind was — is she wilting under pressure?

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