Sania Mirza INfO SANIA MIrza: Full name Sania Country I Residence Hyderab Born 15 Novem (age Bomba (now M Height 1.73 m ( Weight 57 kg (126 l College St. Mary's Yousufguda, Turned pro 3 Februa Retired Acti Plays Right-han handed b Career prize money US$2,7 Official website htt www.sania Singles Career record 271– Career titles 1 WTA, 14 Highest ranking No. 27 (27 A Current ranking No. 286 ( 20 Grand Slam Singles res Australian Open 3R (200 French Open 2R (200 Wimbledon 2R (2005, 2 20 US Open 4R (2 Other tournament Olympic Games 1R (2 Doubles Career record 243– Career titles 14 WT Highest ranking No. 7 (30 Ja Current ranking No. 13 (8 Oc Grand Slam Doubles re Australian Open SF (2 French Open F (2 Wimbledon SF (2 US Open QF (2 Other Doubles tourna Olympic Games 2R (2 Mixed Doubles Career titles 2 Grand Slam Mixed Dou results Australian Open W (2 French Open W (2 Wimbledon QF (2 US Open QF (200 Other Mixed Doubl tournaments Olympic Games QF (2 Last updated on: 8 Oct 2012. Sania Mirza Medal record Women's Tennis Competitor for India Afro-Asian Games Gold 2003 Hyderabad Singles Gold 2003 Hyderabad Women' Doubles Gold 2003 Mixed Sania Mirza (Telugu: సానీయా మీర్జా, Hindi: सानिया मिर्ज़ा, Sāniyā Mirzā; born 15 November 1986, in Bombay) is a professional Indian tennis player, well known for her powerful forehand ground strokes. She is the current Indian No.1 in both singles and doubles and has held this position since 2003. In her career, Mirza has notable wins over Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, Marion Bartoli and former World No. 1s Martina Hingis & Dinara Safina. Mirza is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, with a career high ranking of 27 in singles and 7 in doubles. She is the first Indian female player to surpass US$1m in career earnings; first Indian to win a WTA Tour title of any kind; and, by winning the 2009 Australian Open – Mixed Doubles Event, became the third Indian, male or female, to win a Grand Slam title (the first two being Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes). Mirza has also won the 2012 French Open – Mixed Doubles Event (her second Grand Slam title). Mirza was one named one of the '50 heroes of Asia' by Time in October 2005.[2] In March 2010, The Economic Times named Mirza in the list of the "33 women who made India proud".[3] Early life and tennis career Sania was born to Imran Mirza, a sports journalist, and his wife Naseema in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She and younger sister Anam were brought up in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh in a religious family.[4][5][6] Mirza began playing tennis at the age of six, turning professional in 2003. She was trained by her father. She attended NASR school in Hyderabad and later graduated from St. Mary's College. Mirza received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the MGR Educational and Research Institute University in Chennai on 11 December 2008.[7] Her niece, Sonia Baig Mirza, studies there. Mirza is the third Indian woman in the Open Era to feature and win a round at a Grand Slam tournament (the first one being Nirupama Vaidyanathan at the 1998 Australian Open and the second being Shikha Uberoi at the 2004 US Open). She also became the 1st Indian woman to be seeded in a Grand Slam event at the 2006 Australian Open. Junior years Mirza won 10 singles and 13 doubles titles as a junior player. She won the 2003 Wimbledon Championships Girls' Doubles title, partnering Alisa Kleybanova. She also reached the semifinals of the 2003 French Open Girls' Doubles, with Sanaa Bhambri, and the quarterfinals of the 2002 US Open Girls' Doubles, with Isha Lakhani. 2001–2003: Success on the ITF Circuit Mirza started to show early success as she made her debut in April 2001 on the ITF Circuit as a 15-year-old. Her highlights of 2001 include a quarterfinals showing in Pune and a semifinal finish in New Delhi. As the 2002 season began, she turned around a season of early losses to winning three straight titles; her first in her hometown Hyderabad and the other two in Manila. In February 2003, Mirza was given a wildcard to play in her first ever WTA tournament, at the AP Tourism Hyderabad Open, in her hometown. She lost the tough first round encounter to Australia's Evie Dominikovic, 6–2, 1–6, 2–6. The following week, at the Qatar Ladies Open, she fell to Czech Olga Blahotová in the first qualifying round. She had a good result representing India on the Fed Cup, winning three straight matches. She helped India win a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event of the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, partnering Leander Paes. In addition, Mirza picked up 4 gold medals at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad. 2004–2005: First WTA Title At her hometown event, the 2004 AP Tourism Hyderabad Open , Mirza was a wildcard. She put up a good fight against the fourth seed and eventual champion Nicole Pratt in round one, but lost 6–4, 3–6, 2–6. But she