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Sania Mirza's father Imran Mirza broke his silence amid the speculations of her daughter's divorce with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
On Saturday (January 20), Malik tied the knot with Pakistani actor Sana Javed. He shared a couple of pictures from the wedding ceremony on his social media platforms.
This left many followers bemused as the sporting couple never announced their separation despite rumors going around for months.
Now, Imran Mirza confirmed that the duo had been separated months back without mentioning any specific date. The senior Mirza issued an official statement on his X (formerly Twitter) handle:
"Sania has always kept her personal life away from the public eye. However, today the need has arisen for her to share that Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now. She wishes Shoaib well for his new journey ahead."
The statement added:
"At this sensitive period of her life, we would like to request all fans and well-wishers to refrain from indulging in any speculation and to respect her need for privacy."
When did Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik get married?
Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik got married on April 12, 2010, in Hyderabad, Telangana and they used to live in Dubai together. The former couple was blessed with a son Izhaan Mirza Malik in 2018.
Despite her marriage with the Pakistan international player, Sania maintained her nationality as an Indian. Her marriage often divided the public on either side of the debate.
In 2014, Sania was appointed as the brand ambassador of her home state Telangana by the then TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) government. The opposition BJP raised questions over the tennis ace's nationality because of her marital status.
Sania Mirza retired from professional tennis in February last year after serving the nation for two decades. She won six Grand Slams - three each in mixed doubles and women's doubles. She was also a former World No. 1 in doubles.
