Masaba Gupta opens up about feeling pressured to carry forward her father Vivian Richards’ sports legacy, Sania Mirza relates to her experience

Actor–designer Masaba Gupta recently opened up about the emotional pressure she felt growing up as the daughter of legendary Antiguan cricketer Vivian Richards. Appearing on Serving It Up With Sania, the talk show hosted by tennis icon Sania Mirza, Masaba revealed that even though she later built a celebrated career in fashion, sports played a significant role in her early years — especially tennis.

‘I had to carry the legacy of sport forward in the family’

During their candid conversation, Sania asked her, “Was sport a very big part of your life because of your dad in general?”


Masaba replied, “I think it was definitely influenced by my dad because, in some way, when I was very young, I felt like I had to carry the legacy of sport forward in the family. I don’t know why I felt that pressure. Nobody put it on me, but I just thought so. Just by myself.”

She added that Viv Richards’ discipline and spirit had a huge impact on her as a child. “And I think I really enjoyed seeing how independent he was, how fit he was, how mentally fit he was, and I said I want to be some version of that,” she said, speaking fondly of her father.

‘I just could not take the pressure of being his daughter’

Despite her admiration for Viv Richards, Masaba revealed that the expectations attached to his name deeply affected her sporting journey.

“I also failed miserably at it. I just could not take the pressure of being his daughter. I am not used to this. And I thought I would be... you know, they’d let me go because I am playing a different sport,” she said.

But even in tennis, comparisons followed her. “But when I went on there, it was like, ‘You’re just not as good as your father’. I have to say that until I could articulate how that felt, I just kept going. I just kept going and said, ‘Let’s just keep trying, and one day it will get better.’”

A moment she’ll never forget

Masaba recalled a match that left a lasting impact on her. “And I remember there was one game that my dad came to and it was some state-level match, and I lost so badly. And I was a sore loser,” she said. Yet, she believes tennis shaped her far beyond the court.

“But tennis has taught me so much about life than anything else,” she shared.

The sport also helped her channel her emotions constructively. “I am a solo founder, so I know exactly how to talk myself into and out of a situation and all that is thanks to all the tennis I played,” she added.

Sania Mirza relates to Masaba’s experience

Agreeing with her guest, Sania said, “Sport does teach you how to be resilient.”

She also confessed that she expects her son, Izhaan Mirza Malik, to face similar pressure someday. “One day I will make him talk to you because I feel that he would also experience the same kind of pressure, once he is a little older,” Sania told Masaba.

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