Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza
Mirza in 2017
Country (sports) India
ResidenceHyderabad, India
Born (1986-11-15) 15 November 1986 (age 37)[1]
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Turned proFebruary 2003
RetiredFebruary 2023[3]
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
CollegeSt. Mary's College
Prize moneyUS$ 7,265,246
Singles
Career record271–161
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 27 (27 August 2007)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open3R (2005, 2008)
French Open2R (2007, 2011)
Wimbledon2R (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
US Open4R (2005)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games1R (2008)
Doubles
Career record536–248
Career titles43
Highest rankingNo. 1 (13 April 2015)
Current rankingNo. 35 (20 March 2023)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (2016)
French OpenF (2011)
WimbledonW (2015)
US OpenW (2015)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour FinalsW (2014, 2015)
Olympic Games2R (2008)
Mixed doubles
Career titles3
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian OpenW (2009)
French OpenW (2012)
WimbledonSF (2022)
US OpenW (2014)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic GamesSF (2016)
Medal record
Representing  India
Women's tennis
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2006 Doha Mixed doubles
Silver medal – second place 2006 Doha Women's singles
Silver medal – second place 2006 Doha Women's team
Silver medal – second place 2010 Guangzhou Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Incheon Women's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Guangzhou Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Busan Mixed doubles
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2010 Delhi Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Delhi Women's doubles
Afro-Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2003 Hyderabad Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 2003 Hyderabad Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2003 Hyderabad Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2003 Hyderabad Women's team

Sania Mirza (ˈsaːnijaː ˈmirzaː; born 15 November 1986) is an Indian former professional tennis player. A former doubles world No. 1, she won six major titles – three in women's doubles and three in mixed doubles.[4][5] From 2003 until her retirement from singles in 2013, she was ranked by the Women's Tennis Association as the No. 1 Indian in singles.[6][7] Throughout her career, Mirza has established herself as one of the most known, highest-paid, and influential athletes in India.[8][9][10]

In singles, Mirza had wins over Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, and Marion Bartoli, as well as former world-number-ones Martina Hingis, Dinara Safina, and Victoria Azarenka. She is the highest-ranked Indian female player ever, peaking at world No. 27 in mid-2007. However, a major wrist injury caused her to shift to doubles. Mirza has achieved a number of firsts for women's tennis in India, including reaching the one million-US$ mark in career earnings (currently over US$7.2 million), winning a singles WTA Tour title, and winning a major title, as well as qualifying for (and eventually winning) the WTA Finals in 2014 in doubles partnering Cara Black, and defending her title the following year partnering Martina Hingis.[11] Mirza retired from professional tennis in February 2023.[12]

She is one of only two Indian women to win a WTA Tour title, and the only one to be ranked within the top 100 in singles. Mirza is the third Indian woman in the Open Era (after Nirupama Mankad and Nirupama Sanjeev, and the second in singles after Sanjeev) to contest and win a match at a major, and the first to advance past the second round. In doubles, Mirza won 43 titles and spent 91 weeks as world No. 1.[13] In 2005, Mirza was crowned the Newcomer of the Year by the WTA, and in 2015 she and Martina Hingis were the Doubles Team of the Year, going on to earn a 44-match winning streak, one of the longest in history. Mirza has also won a total of 14 medals (including six golds) at three major multi-sport events, namely the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Afro-Asian Games.

Mirza was named one of the "50 Heroes of Asia" by Time in October 2005.[14] In March 2010, The Economic Times named Mirza in its list of the "33 women who made India proud".[15] She was appointed as the UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia during the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2013.[16] She was named in Time magazine's 2016 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[17]

  1. ^ "Overview | Sania Mirza | WTA Official". Women's Tennis Association. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sania Mirza". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  3. ^ "'Can't push body anymore,' Sania Mirza to retire after Dubai Tennis Championships in February". Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Hingis & Mirza Win, Mirza Becomes No.1". Women's Tennis Association. 12 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Sania Mirza Martina Hingis Wins Women's Doubles Title". Mana Telangana. Hyderabad, India. 12 July 2015. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015.
  6. ^ Gibbs, Lindsay (14 January 2015). "Fatwas, Feminism, and Forehands: The Life of Indian Tennis Superstar Sania Mirza". Vice.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  7. ^ Chanda, Kathakali (23 December 2014). "Sania Mirza: The queen of her court". Forbes India. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  8. ^ "World Fame 100: India's Top 10 most famous athletes". 12 March 2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  9. ^ "How much did Sania Mirza earn in her illustrious career". 22 January 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  10. ^ "The remarkable story of Sania Mirza, and what she means to India". 20 January 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  11. ^ "US Open: Sania Mirza-Bruno Soares Win Mixed Doubles Title". sports.ndtv.com. NDTV. Agence France-Presse. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Sania Mirza to retire after 2022 season: How much prize money tennis icon has earned in her career?". www.timesnownews.com. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  13. ^ "'I hope this inspires a few women' – Mirza, Kichenok reach Hobart doubles final". Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Sania in Time 2005 Asia heroes list". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2005.
  15. ^ "DAY IN PICS-Sania Mirza". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  16. ^ "Sania Mirza, UN Women's Goodwill ambassador for South Asia" Archived 5 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine, "Affairscloud", 26 November 2014.
  17. ^ "The 100 Most Influential People in the World". Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.