| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sania Mirza Malik |
| Nickname | Sam |
| Profession | Tennis Player |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 173 cm in meters– 1.73 m in feet inches– 5’ 8” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
| Tennis | |
| Turned pro | February 2003 |
| Retirement | In January 2023, Sania Mirza announced that she would retire from professional tennis after playing in the Dubai Tennis Championships 2023 in February. After pulling herself out of the US Open 2022, the Indian ace said, “Honestly, I like to do things on my own terms. So I don’t want to be forced out by injury. I really don’t have the capacity in my mind to emotionally push that much anymore. Priorities change, and now my priority is not to push my body to the limit every single day.” [1]Olympics |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Imran Mirza (her father) and Roger Anderson |
| Career Titles (Singles) | 1 WTA, 14 ITF |
| Career Titles (Doubles) | 41 WTA, 4 ITF |
| Career Titles (Mixed Doubles) | 3 |
| Highest Ranking (Singles) | No. 27 (27 August 2007) |
| Highest Ranking (Doubles) | No. 1 (13 April 2015) |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | 2004: Arjuna Award 2005: WTA Newcomer of the Year 2006: Padma Shri 2015: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna  2016: Padma Bhushan 2016: Global Icon of the Year at 2016 NRI of the Year Awards, New Delhi 2020: On 11 May, she became the first Indian to win the Fed Cup Heart Award. |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 15 November 1986 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 36 Years |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, India |
| Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
| Signature | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Hyderabad, India |
| School | Nasr School (a private school chain in Khairatabad, Hyderabad) |
| College/University | St. Mary’s College, Hyderabad |
| Educational Qualification | Graduate |
| Religion | Islam |
| Caste/Sect | Sunni Muslim |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Address | She resides in a house in Hyderabad’s Film Nagar |
| Hobbies | Swimming, Listening to Music, Travelling |
| Controversies | • In 2006, some newspapers reported that she declined to play doubles with the Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe’er for fear of protests from India’s Muslim community. However, she teamed up with Pe’er at the 2007 WTA Tour of Stanford, California.
• In 2008, Mirza was pictured sitting with her feet resting on a table next to an Indian flag. Following a huge criticism for this act, Mirza announced that she will stop appearing in tennis competitions in her native country. She had been at the centre of disputes involving her dress and disrespecting India’s national flag. • After Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi declined to play in the men’s doubles event at the 2012 Olympics with Leander Paes, Paes demanded Mirza to be his partner for the mixed doubles event. However, Sania wanted to play with Mahesh Bhupathi and accused the All India Tennis Association (AITA) of using her as ‘bait’ to keep Paes happy. In the end, the duo of Mirza and Paes lost in the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles. • At the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony Parade in 2008, she was photographed violating the dress code. • She has often been referred to as “Pakistan’s daughter-in-law” in a sarcastic way for being married to a Pakistani cricketer- Shoaib Malik. • In June 2019, she had a war of words on Twitter with the Pakistani actress Veena Malik. After a video was circulated on Twitter, showing Sania Mirza’s son Izhaan with his parents and some members of the Pakistan cricket team at a “sheesha place,” Veena Malik commented- “Sania, I am actually so worried for the kid. You guys took him to a sheesha place isn’t it Hazardous? Also as far as I know Archie’s is all about junk food which isn’t good for athletes/Boys. You must know well as you are mother and athlete yourself?” In reply, Sania said that she cares about her son a “lot more than anyone else does.” |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Shoaib Malik |
| Ex-fiance | Sohrab Mirza (Sania Mirza’s childhood friend) |
| Marriage Date | 12 April 2010 |
| Marriage Place | The Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Shoaib Malik (Cricketer) |
| Children | Son– Izhaan Mirza Malik (born in October 2018) Daughter– None |
| Parents | Father– Imran Mirza (a sports journalist) Mother– Nasima Mirza |
| Siblings | Brother– None Sister– Anam Mirza (The owner of the fashion outlet The Label Bazaar) |
| Favourites | |
| Sports | Cricket and Swimming |
| Cricketer | Yuvraj Singh |
| Tennis Player(s) | Roger Federer, Martina Hingis |
| Food | Biryani |
| Dessert | Ice Cream |
| Actor(s) | Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar |
| Actress | Madhuri Dixit |
| Film | Kuch Kuch Hota Hai |
| Singer(s) | Atif Aslam, Arijit Singh |
| Travel Destination(s) | Dubai, Maldives |
| Style Quotient | |
| Cars Collection | • Fiat Palio (signed by Sachin Tendulkar) • Toyota Supra • BMW • Porsche • Range Rover |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Sania Mirza
- Is Sania Mirza a smoker?: No
- Sania Mirza does not consume alcohol.
- Sania Mirza was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) into a Hyderabadi Muslim family. As a baby, she was peacefully resting in her mother’s arms.
- The Mirza Family immigrated to the US in 1990 but decided to return within two years.
- During an interview, Imran Mirza, Sania’s father, disclosed that their family had a strong inclination towards cricket. Despite his own background in tennis during his college years, he mentioned that at some stage in their lives, every family member had engaged with cricket in some capacity.
- Sania Mirza’s father is a sports journalist and the founder of a sports magazine called “Sports Call” in Hyderabad. He is currently engrossed in reading the latest issue of the magazine.
- Afterwards, her father decided to pursue a career in the printing press industry and ultimately transitioned into becoming a builder.
- Sania Mirza and her younger sister Anam were inseparable during their childhood in Hyderabad, where they grew up together.
- Sania Mirza achieved first division in her SSC examination, scoring 63% marks from Nasr School Khairatabad. Throughout her early years, she…
- Sania was introduced to Lawn Tennis by her father, Imran Mirza, and she began playing the sport at the young age of six at Nizam Club Hyderabad.
- Sania’s initial tennis training was provided by CK Bhupathi, who is the father of Mahesh Bhupathi.
- At the point when her dad couldn’t afford the costs of her training, he sought assistance from various business establishments. As a result, GVK Industries and Adidas stepped in to sponsor her from the age of 12.
- Afterward, Sania’s father assumed the role of her coach, dedicating himself to nurturing her talents to achieve international success. Imran Mirza is joining forces with Sania on the court.
- Sania relocated to the Ace Tennis Academy in the United States following her training in professional tennis at Sinnet Tennis Academy in Secunderabad.
- Sania Mirza, renowned for her exceptional talent, emerged as a junior player with an impressive record of 10 singles and 13 doubles titles.
- teamed up to win the Girls’ Doubles title at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships.
- In addition, she advanced to the semifinals of the 2003 US Open Girls’ Doubles and the quarterfinals of the 2002 US Open Girls’ Doubles.
- Sania, a 15-year-old on the senior circuit, achieved notable victories in various locations including Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, and Manila, Philippines.
- Despite being granted a wild card entry into her first ever WTA tournament, the AP Tourism Hyderabad Open, she unfortunately suffered a defeat against Australia’s Evie Dominikovic.
- Sania Mirza’s initial taste of international success came when she joined forces with Leander Paes to secure a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event of the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.
- After that, Sania Mirza proceeded to win four gold medals at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad.
- Partnering with Liezel Huber, Sania Mirza secured her inaugural WTA doubles title at the 2004 AP Tourism Hyderabad Open. Sania Mirza warmly welcomes Liezel Huber.
- In 2004, Sania emerged victorious in six ITF singles tournaments on the ITF Circuit.
- Sania Mirza faced Cindy Watson and Petra Mandula in the first and second rounds of the 2005 Australian Open, respectively. She successfully advanced to the third round but unfortunately lost to Serena Williams in straight sets.
- Sania Mirza celebrated her historic victory against Alona Bondarenko when she defeated the ninth-seeded player in the final of the AP Tourism Hyderabad Open in February 2005. This win made her the first-ever Indian woman to secure a WTA title.
- She achieved a remarkable feat in the same year by becoming the first Indian woman to advance to the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the US Open.
- Sania Mirza clinched the WTA Newcomer of the Year title after a remarkable 2005 season.
- Sania made history at the 2006 Australian Open by becoming the first Indian female player to be seeded in a grand slam tournament.
- Sania Mirza participated in the Doha Asian Games in 2006 and won three medals. She achieved a gold medal in mixed doubles, a silver medal in women’s singles, and another silver medal as part of the team.
- Sania achieved three top-ten victories in the same year, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, and Martina Hingis.
- In 2007, Sania had a remarkable year, achieving her highest singles ranking of world No. 27 and winning an impressive four doubles titles.
- Sania Mirza proudly represented India at the 2008 Summer Olympics but unfortunately had to exit the singles event due to a wrist injury. This injury also forced her to withdraw from multiple matches, including the French Open and US Open Grand Slams. Nevertheless, she was present at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony.
- Sania Mirza and Vishnu Vardhan participated in the 2010 Asian Games, where Mirza achieved a Bronze Medal in singles and a Silver in mixed doubles alongside Vardhan.
- Sania Mirza’s performance at the 2011 French Open was undoubtedly the pinnacle of her career, as she achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the finals of a Grand Slam tournament.
- On 7 June 2012, Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi clinched the French Open Mixed Doubles Championship. They triumphed in the Mixed Doubles division of the 2012 French Open.
- The Telangana Government appointed Sania Mirza as the brand ambassador of the state in 2014.
- Sania Mirza was appointed as the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia, making her the first South Asian woman to hold this prestigious position in the same year.
- Sania Mirza joined forces with renowned Swiss player Martina Hingis in 2015. Together, they achieved remarkable triumphs, among which was their historic victory at the Family Circle Cup. This win propelled Mirza to become the first Indian ever to attain the top spot in the WTA’s doubles rankings. Reflecting on her momentous achievement, Sania expressed that every child aspires to reach the pinnacle of their chosen field. Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis joyously celebrate Mirza’s esteemed No.1 WTA ranking.
- Mirza achieved her first women’s doubles Grand Slam victory at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships alongside Hingis.
- Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, who had previously announced their split as a team in August 2016, are still maintaining a strong friendship. They continue to enjoy spending quality time together.
- Following her separation from Hingis, Mirza encountered difficulties in securing a dedicated partner.
- Sania Mirza was honored by Time Magazine in 2016, being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She graced the front page of the renowned publication.
- During an exclusive launch event in July 2016, Sania Mirza introduced her autobiography “Ace Against Odds” to the public.
- Sania Mirza encountered challenges as a result of her knee injury, leading to her absence from the initial tournaments of the 2018 season.
- Sania Mirza took to her Instagram account in April 2018 to share the exciting news of her pregnancy with her husband, Shoaib Malik. She proudly displayed her pregnancy curves for all to see.
- Izhaan was born in October 2018, and she chose to name her baby boy.
- According to Google trends in 2010, Sania Mirza emerged as the top-searched Indian sportsperson of the year.
- After a hiatus from tennis since the China Open in October 2017 and becoming a mother a year later, Sania made an impressive return on 18 January 2020 by clinching her 42nd WTA doubles title at the Hobart International.
- The Dubai Golden Visa was officially granted to her in July 2021, making her the third Indian to receive this visa, following Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Sania and her husband, Shoaib Malik, have been granted a 10-year residency in the UAE. [2] This information was reported by The Times of India.
- She announced on 19 January 2022 that she would be retiring at the end of the 2022 season due to her declining physical condition and lack of motivation and energy. This announcement came after she and her partner, Nadiia Kichenok, lost in the first round of the Australian Open women’s doubles. During the post-match press conference, Mirza expressed her concerns about her body deteriorating, particularly her painful knee, and how recovery takes longer as she gets older. She also mentioned that finding daily motivation to give her all in matches is becoming increasingly difficult. Although she still has the drive to compete at the moment, there are days when she lacks the desire. Mirza has always believed in playing as long as she finds joy in the journey rather than just winning, but she is unsure if she still finds that enjoyment.
- On July 6, 2022, Sania Mirza’s journey at Wimbledon came to an end as she and her partner Mate Pavic were defeated in the semi-finals of the mixed doubles event by defending champions Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk. Despite being seeded sixth, Mirza and Pavic lost the match to Skupski and Krawczyk with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 4-6 after a grueling two hours and sixteen minutes. This information was reported by The Times of India.
- Sania Mirza’s appointment as RCB’s team mentor for the Women’s Premier League 2023 caused some surprise due to her lack of cricket experience. However, in an interview, Sania explained the reasoning behind her role and stated that she would be working with young girls who were entering the spotlight for the first time. She acknowledged the pressures and expectations that come with this and highlighted her own experience of navigating such an environment for the past twenty years. Sania saw her role as assisting these girls in managing these challenges and believed it to be a great idea.
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