Sania Mirza-Shoaib Malik Divorce: Indian Tennis Great's Family Breaks Silence

Sania Mirza's personal life recently took centre stage on social media when former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik shared images from his wedding.

The speculations surrounding Sania's separation from Shoaib were confirmed as the cricketer posted pictures of her marriage to Sana Javed on January 17. Addressing the situation, Sania's family has broken their silence.

In a statement, the tennis great's team and family expressed, "Sania has consistently kept her personal life private. However, the current circumstances necessitate her to reveal that Shoaib and she have been divorced for several months now.

"She extends her best wishes to Shoaib for his new journey ahead. During this sensitive phase in her life, we kindly urge fans and well-wishers to refrain from engaging in speculation and to respect her need for privacy."

The cricketer, previously wed to Indian tennis star Sania, with whom he shares a son, unveiled a photo on a social media platform featuring his new wife, accompanied by the caption, "And We created you in pairs." Their five-year-old son Izaan resides with Sania. Sania's father, Imran Mirza, clarified to PTI that it was a 'khula,' denoting the right of a Muslim woman to unilaterally divorce her husband.

Speculations about differences between Shoaib and Sania leading to a split had been circulating since 2022, as the couple was seldom seen together in recent years. Malik further unfollowed the Indian star on Instagram a few days ago. Shoaib and Sania had initially tied the knot in Hyderabad, Sania's hometown, in April 2010, and they had been residing in Dubai.

Sana Javed, a prominent actress in Pakistani dramas and films, had previously married singer Umair Jaiswal in a modest ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, news of their divorce surfaced two months before Shoaib's recent marriage.

(With PTI inputs)