Sania Mirza's Father's initial response following Shoaib Malik's marriage to Sana Javed

Following the marriage of Indian tennis star Sania Mirza's husband, Shoaib Malik, to popular Pakistani actress Sana Javed on January 20, Sania Mirza's father confirmed the couple's divorce. Amid all this news, Sania's father, Imran Mirza stated that Sania had separated from Shoaib through the process of "khula."

"It was a khula," said Sania Mirza's father, referring to her marital status with Malik. Khula denotes the right of a Muslim woman to unilaterally divorce her husband according to Sharia law. Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik was previously married to Indian tennis star Sania, with whom he shares a son named Izaan. Shoaib and Sania tied the knot in April 2010 in Hyderabad, Sania's hometown, and resided in Dubai.

Moreover, their five-year-old son Izaan currently resides with Sania. Sania Mirza considered one of India's greatest tennis players, announced her retirement last year after a 20-year career. With 43 WTA doubles titles and one singles trophy, Sania has been a trailblazer for women in sports. Amid the news of Shoaib’s marriage, the netizens have thrashed him on his social media handle after his marriage post.

Sania Mirza’s cryptic post on social media

Earlier, there were strong rumours have circulated since 2022 about conflicts between Shoaib and Sania, potentially resulting in a separation. Over the last couple of years, the couple has been seldom seen together. Recently, Malik also took the step of unfollowing the Indian star on Instagram.

The post delved into the complexities of marriage, divorce, fitness, financial issues, and communication, encouraging people to consciously select the challenges they are prepared to encounter. Sania highlighted that life is inherently filled with challenges, and individuals possess the ability to choose which difficulties they wish to confront.

Formally, this signifies Shoaib Malik's second marital union. Yet, before marrying Sania Mirza, Malik was purportedly wed to Ayesha Siddiqui, a claim he initially refuted. The marriage to Mirza became contentious amid allegations that Malik was previously married. Ayesha, alongside her family, elevated the matter to national television. Despite Malik later acknowledging the association with Ayesha, he framed the entire incident as a fraudulent occurrence.