Former tennis player Sania Mirza, along with her entrepreneur sister Anam Mirza, have partnered with Global Sports for a pickleball tournament being held in the United Arab Emirates.

While the sport is growing rapidly, and offers a sponsorship opportunity of around INR 85 crore (according to a report by Havas Play), there's also an emerging debate that the sport could be considered a fad.

On the sidelines of the announcement, Sania Mirza dismissed that suggestion in a with conversation Manifest.

"A few years ago, people thought it was a fad and it would go away, but I think it is here to stay," she said.

"It's a sport that has caught the imagination of a lot of people. It's a super social sport where a lot of young and old folks are coming together. That aspect of it will help it grow," added the former world number one.

Mirza, who attracted attention not only for her career, but also for what she wore on the tennis court, shared how she reacted to social media trolls.

"On social media, everybody has an opinion, so you just have to filter it out. I have been subjected to the pros and cons of it. Several comments came in about my looks. Trolling is a part and parcel of being a celebrity. Social media trolls should be dealt with a bit of humour. One should not take the good or the bad too seriously," she added.

Read the full chat with Mirza in our May issue. Click here to buy it!