Sania Mirza, the tennis star of India who has made her identity at an international level, has turned 31 today. Not only is she touted as the most successful female tennis player ever in India but she is also one of the highest paid athletes in the country.
Although she is married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, it doesn’t take away the fact that Sania is a true Indian sportsperson who has often made her country proud at various platforms. On the occasion of her 31st birthday, let’s take a look at facts and achievements associated with Mirza’s life:
• Born on 15th November 1986, Sania hails from Hyderabad. She graduated from St. Mary’s College and later received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from MGR Educational and Research Institute University, Chennai.
• She has won 14 medals, including 6 Gold, at three major sports events viz. Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Afro-Asian Games.
• She is the third woman to win a round at a Grand Slam Tournament in Open Era and the first Indian woman to reach the second week.
• Sania has achieved many firsts as a female tennis player; she surpassed USD 1 Million in career earnings, which has now crossed USD6 Million. She also won singles Pro-level title, and 6 major titles (3 women’s doubles and 3 mixed doubles).
• She also became the first female player in India to not only qualify but also to win the WTA Finals in 2014 partnering with Cara Black. She again defended the title with Martina Hingis the following year.
Sania Mirza with Husband Shoaib Malik
• In the year 2010, when she got married to Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik, it gained so much of hype in the media that she became the most searched woman tennis player and Indian sportsperson of that year, as per the data recorded by Google Trends.
• In April 2015, Sania and Martina won Family Circle Cup double title after which the former became the first Indian to be ranked number 1 in WTA doubles ranking. Sania Mirza remained number 1 for the second consecutive season in 2016 as well.
Sania Mirza with Martina Hingis
• In October 2005, she was named by Time as one of the “50 heroes of Asia” and later in 2010, was named among “33 women who made India proud” by The Economic Times and “100 most influential people in the world” in Times Magazine’s 2016 list.
• She also became the first South Asian woman to be appointed as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia in UN’s history.
• Some prestigious awards received by the tennis player include Arjuna Award (2004), WTA New Comer of the Year (2005), Padma Shri (2006), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2015) and Padma Bhushan (2016).
Sania Mirza with Actor Shahrukh Khan at her Book Launch
• In July 2016, her autobiography named “Ace against Odds” came out which narrated her life experiences on and off the court and important people in her life.
