The most successful Indian female tennis player, Sania Mirza was born on November 15, 1986. The athlete who has her roots in Hyderabad started playing at six. The tennis star has seen several highs and lows in her professional career due to her injuries, but her personal life has not been a cakewalk as well. Sania found the love of her life across the border in Pakistan. But love knows no boundaries and doesn't understand religion. She was 23 at the time of her marriage to cricketer Shoaib Malik. At the time, Sania's career was witnessing a drop while Shoaib had been served a 12-month ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
How did Sania and Shoaib meet?
Sania feels that it was destiny that had a significant role to play in their union. Speaking to India Today, Sania revealed that the two met in Hobart for the first time but it was Shoaib who had planned the meeting all along. In her autobiography, Ace Against Odds, Sania mentioned that Shoaib came to her life when she was going through a bad professional phase. The ace player also said that Shoaib only wanted to see her happy.
She and Shoaib tied the knot after five months of courtship which is why many called their decision impulsive and rash. To that, Sania said, "People can date a person for years but break up as soon as they get married. Some people can date each other for a month and get married. We were lucky we found each other, decided quickly and felt the same way about one another."
How did the couple's marriage blur geographical lines?
The alliance attracted immense hype, attention and controversy for obvious reasons. From questioning patriotism to probing changing nationalities, the two athletes faced extreme criticism from the media. Sania requested the media for some restraint. Shoaib told a media portal, "Two people from different countries got married and it should only be treated as a marriage nothing more."
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However, none of it came in the way for the couple who stuck together through all the testing times. Now, with over a decade of marriage the couple has successfully beaten all odds. In 2018, Sania and Shoaib embraced parenthood. They welcomed a beautiful boy and named him Izhaan Mirza-Malik.
Sania and Shoaib are leading a blissful married life and the two have always given major couple goals. Their love story and marriage is an inspiration to millions today.