New Delhi: Sania Mirza who turns 29 today is one of the first athletes of present generation to make a mark in non-cricket sport. Grit, determination and patience besides inborn talent have been instrumental in her rise.
Have a look at her life journey right from Sania's childhood:
Sania Mirza was born in Mumbai, India on the 15th November, 1986 to Mr. Imran Mirza and Naseema. Sania Mirza's father Imran was a sports journalist but later became a builder.
The family later relocated themselves in the city of Hyderabad. Sania Mirza got her schooling from Nasr School Khairatabad and passed her SSC examination with first division securing 63% marks.
Sania was drawn to the lawn tennis by her father. She started playing tennis at the tender age of six at Nizam Club Hyderabad.
When Sania was first taken to the coach he refused to coach her, later on after a week he called up the parents of Sania and told them that he has never seen such a talent at such a tender age.
Her initial training was handled by CK Bhupati father of Mahesh Bhupati, the legendary Indian tennis player
Sania Mirza learnt the professional tennis at Sinnet Tennis Academy in Secunderabad after that she moved to the Ace Tennis Academy in the United States.
Sania Mirza started playing in international tournaments from the year 1999 when she first represented India in the World Junior Championship, Jakarta.
After that Sania went on to participate in the Asian Games in the year with Paes where she won a bronze medal.
She again did India proud when she figured in the main draw for the girl's doubles junior Wimbledon Tennis tournament with a 13 year old Russian player Alisa Kleybanova and won the Grand Slam title. Doing so Sania became the first youngest Indian player to do so.
In the year 2005 Sania Mirza created waves in the tennis world when she reached to the 3rd and 4th rounds of many Grand Slam tournaments.
In 2009, Sania Mirza was engaged to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza. However the engagement was called off shortly after.
She has a very powerful forehand (Double handed backhand) and serves an array of strokes. She is greatly influenced by the German player Stefi Graff.
On 12 April 2010, she married cricketer Shoaib Malik in a traditional Muslim Islamic Wedding ceremony at the Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad, India followed by Pakistani wedding customs.
Sania became the second tennis player to receive the country's highest sporting honour Kel Ratna after Leander Paes.
She had been in lot of controversies in the past. The short tennis clothes she wears on the court has drawn criticism from some Muslim religious group.
Later, in a conference in 2005 she spoke about safe sex but some groups said she was a "corrupting influence on the youth." Mirza clarified her stance by saying that she was opposed to pre-marital sex. She faced possible prosecution under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act after a private citizen complained.
When she was appointed as the brand ambassador of the newly made state of Telangana, K. Laxman, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in the Telangana assembly criticized this by calling her a "daughter of Pakistan" as she is married to Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik.
The tennis star reacted to Laxman's statement and said that she will remain an Indian till her last breath. She believes that time should not be wasted by media and politicians on such petty issue.
