WPL 2023: Former Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza appointed RCB mentor

image-le589w3kMirza will join RCB post her final ATP event [Twitter]

In the latest development, former Tennis Grand Slam winner, Sania Mirza has been appointed the mentor of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The move comes two days after the Women's Premier League (WPL) aution took place in Mumbai. The inaugural edition of the WPL will be played from March 4 to 26, with five participating teams.

Mirza, 36, recently announced her retirement from professional Tennis post the conclusion of the Australian Open, where Mirza and Rohan Bopanna lost in the finals.

She is expected to join the squad following the conclusion of ATP Dubai Open, which will be her last professional tournament.

Mirza, a former world number one in doubles competition, has six Grand Slams to her name - three in women's doubles and three in mixed doubles. An idol for the youngsters, Mirza is enthusiastic regarding working with the younger generation.

"I was a little surprised, but I was really excited. I want to make young girls believe sport can be one of the first career choices for them. I want to help the next generation into believing in themselves no matter how much the odds are against you, you can achieve your goals," Mirza told RCB TV.

She added: "The mental aspect of it is something I look forward to working with the younger girls. I feel I can help bring in the mental steadiness, the mental belief, I can talk of the experiences I've had over 20 years of playing. Being the only Indian woman doing it for so many years has been lonely, but the pressure has been high, that kind of stuff is something I can truly help with."

RCB had a wonderful auction, bringing in a formidable squad. They bought in the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh Thakur, Richa Ghosh, and others, and will be aiming to win the inaugural edition of WPL.