Mirza, Sania (1986-…), was one of the greatest female players in the history of Indian tennis. Her international success in the sport made Mirza one of the best-known athletes in India. Mirza gained her greatest success as a doubles player. She won six grand slam titles, three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles. The grand slam consists of the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Mirza was born on Nov. 15, 1986, in Mumbai, India. She began playing tennis at the age of 6 and turned professional at the age of 16. A wrist injury ended her singles career in 2013, so she concentrated on doubles.
Mirza earned her first grand slam title in 2009 when she won the Australian Open mixed doubles championship with partner Mahesh Bhupathi of India. She also won the 2012 French Open mixed doubles title with Bhupathi and the 2014 US Open mixed doubles title with Brazilian partner Bruno Soares. Mirza won all three of her women’s doubles grand slam titles with partner Martina Hingis of Switzerland. They won the Wimbledon and US Open championships in 2015 and the Australian Open title in 2016.
In 2014, Mirza was appointed South Asia Goodwill Ambassador for the organization UN Women. The group promotes gender equality and works to empower women. In 2015, she received the Khel Ratna Award in Sports and Games, the highest sports honor presented by the Indian government. In 2016, Mirza was given the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award. She retired from tennis in 2023.
