India, Dec. 14 -- Former tennis star Sania Mirza has added her voice to the growing wave of Indian athletes speaking publicly about mental health, revealing that she, too, often struggled with bouts of depression. Her comments come on the heels of opening up about mental health on her podcast, and weeks after cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues disclosed her anxiety battle post the Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 semi-final. "I spoke about it late in life because we were not really aware of it before. There was a lot stigma around it in society," the 39-year-old tells us, adding, "I had a couple of bouts of depression, I went through my lows as well." Stressing that elite athletes are often expected to operate without faltering, she adds, "As sports people, our lives may be robotic but we are actual, real human beings with real feelings. People like us, whose voices are heard more per se, have a responsibility to speak about such issues that are often not talked about." Applauding Rodrigues for speaking out, Mirza adds, "It takes courage to be vulnerable in front of the whole world. Her speaking about it shows sportspeople as normal human beings." Her hope for future athletes is simple. "As sportspersons, we lead our lives match after match and forget to take a breath. Hopefully, this will give courage to younger people that there is no shame or weakness in feeling a certain way," she signs off....