India’s teen sensation, Sania Mirza was born in
Mumbai on November 15, 1986. Initially she was coached by her father Imran Mirza and C.G.Krishna Bhupathi (father of another famous Indian tennis star, Mahesh Bhupathi), she turned professional in 2003. She has entered the record books for being the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, in singles as well as in doubles.
She has many firsts to her credit, among them becoming the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the 2005 US Open. In the same year, she reached the third round of the Australian Open. She had won the Wimbledon Championships Girls' Doubles title in 2003.
At the Doha Asian Games 2006, Sania brought laurels for India. winning the silver in the women's singles category and the gold in the mixed doubles category. She has been a hot with the media and especially the youth of India, who see her as a role medal. She was in the news when certain Islamic clerics castigated her for wearing what they termed as “ unIslamic dresses.”
She is a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna award by the Indian government in the year 2004.
