Published 18:16 IST, September 18th 2019
Sania Mirza: All you need to know about India's tennis superstar
Sania Mirza is a path-breaking athlete who almost single-handedly put Indian women's tennis on the global map and is the first Indian female to win a Grand Slam
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Sania Mirza is a path-breaking athlete who almost single-handedly put Indian women's tennis on the global map. She is the first and so far the only Indian female player to have won a Grand Slam title in any format, and is also the only player to have broken into the top 30 of the WTA singles rankings. Sania's doubles partnership with Martina Hingis is widely celebrated for its style and success. In 2015 and 2016, Sania and Hingis were the best doubles players on the planet, winning three Slams and two WTA Finals titles. Today, Sania is a sporting and socio-cultural icon in India, whose stature rivals that of the top cricketers in the country.
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Sania Mirza Early Life
Sania is an aggressive player with one of the biggest forehands in the game. She can dictate any rally by powering her forehand into the corners and is capable of hitting winners off that wing even from defensive positions. Sania's forehand was one of the main reasons why she could challenge the top players in singles at the start of her career. While she had a few weaknesses in her game, her forehand was so unique that it regularly featured in the 'best forehands in the game' lists. Sania's backhand is fairly efficient, but her serve is attackable and inconsistent. Her movement is not the greatest either, which hampers her during long rallies and long matches. Sania started out as an aggressive baseliner but started approaching the net a lot more as her focus shifted to doubles. Her volleys have improved over time, and during her partnership with Hingis, she occasionally matched the Swiss' finesse at the net.
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Sania Mirza's Personal Life
Sania was born in Mumbai but has lived in Hyderabad for much of her life. She started playing tennis at the age of six, and her father Imran Mirza has been her primary coach ever since. Sania married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik in April 2010. In April 2018, the couple announced that they were pregnant with their first child, which put Sania's tennis career on hold. Sania's popularity with the Indian masses has earned her a number of endorsement deals, and she has also taken up modelling on some occasions.
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Sania Mirza Stats
The stupendous success of tennis duo Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis in 2015 has helped them attain the title of 2015 Women's Doubles World Champions. Conferred upon the two tennis stars by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), this title has brought the two women, tennis players, closer to each other. Quite contented with the award received from the ITF, Sania Mirza seeks to become an inspiration to all female tennis aspirants in India. Both, Sania and Martina have played together to win their last 22 matches, beginning from the US Open to wins recorded in Asia at Wuhan, Guangzhou, Beijing and finally the WTA Finals.
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11:51 IST, September 18th 2019