Sania Mirza (born November 15, 1986) is an Indian former professional tennis player. A former doubles world No. 1, she won six major titles – three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles. From 2003 until her retirement from singles in 2013, she was ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association as the No. 1 Indian in singles.
Early Life
Sania Mirza was born in Mumbai, India. She began playing tennis at the age of six and was trained by her father. Mirza won ten singles and thirteen doubles titles as a junior player.
Career
Mirza turned professional in 2003 and quickly made a name for herself on the international tennis circuit. She won her first WTA singles title at the Hyderabad Open in 2005, becoming the first Indian woman to win a WTA title. Throughout her career, Mirza achieved numerous milestones, including reaching the fourth round of the US Open in 2005 and achieving a career-high singles ranking of No. 27 in 2007.
In doubles, Mirza’s success was even more pronounced. She won three Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles, including the Australian Open (2016), Wimbledon (2015), and the US Open (2015), all partnering with Martina Hingis. In mixed doubles, she won the Australian Open (2009), the French Open (2012), and the US Open (2014).
Mirza retired from professional tennis in February 2023 after playing in the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Personal Life
Sania Mirza married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik in 2010, and the couple has a son named Izhaan Mirza Malik, born in 2018. Mirza is known for her powerful groundstrokes and offensive baseline play.
Trivia
- Mirza is the highest-ranked Indian female player ever, peaking at world No. 27 in singles.
- She has won 43 career doubles titles and 3 mixed doubles titles.
- Mirza has been awarded the Padma Shri, Arjuna Award, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
