A few years ago, no one could even imagine an Indian girl entering the pre-quarter finals of a Grand Slam tennis tournament. But Sania Mirza, a cute Hyderabadi teenager, had different ideas. She succeeded in doing just that at the US Open in 2005. Earlier that year, she reached the third round of the Australian Open before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. With her exploits, Sania not only placed India on the international women’s tennis map, but became an inspirational figure for the younger generation of the entire nation. In a cricket-crazy country, she gave Indian cricketers a run for their money as far as popularity and endorsements were concerned.
Sania was also the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title, when she won the Hyderabad Open before her home crowd in 2005. She was the highest ranked Indian woman ever when she soared to the 31st spot in October 2005. However, injuries and some indifferent performances affected her rankings in 2006 till she overcame the odds and regained the magic of her powerful forehand. With a welcome return to form, Sania is now (July 26, 2007) ranked 35th in singles and 36th in doubles. Her best ever ranking in doubles till now is 24. In her short career, Sania has already beaten some top players like Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova and Martina Hingis.
For a girl coming from a conservative Muslim family, life as a professional tennis player had its problems. Although backed to the hilt by parents Imran and Naseema, Sania came under fire from some orthodox Islamic scholars who found her attire on the court not conforming to Islam. Then, her partnering Shahar Peer of Israel in doubles sparked off some protests. Sania, however, stayed firm and the protests gradually died down.
Apart from tennis, Sania loves swimming and music - mostly rap and Hindi remix. Her favorite tennis player is Steffi Graf. Sania has received coaching from Narendranath, Vasudeva Reddy, C.G.K Bhupati and Bob Brett at different stages of her career. Her career is managed by Globosport, a company owned by tennis star Mahesh Bhupati. She was named India’s "brand ambassador" for 2004 — the year of the girl child by the central government. Receiving the honor, Sania said she owed it all to her parents.
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