Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik divorce: A timeline of their relationship

When Indian tennis star Sania Mirza got engaged to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik in 2009, it was the headline in the two countries for a decent amount of time. Criticisms and celebrations came hand-in-hand with the sporting legends as their relationship surpassed the barriers of nationality.

However, on November 9, 2022, a source close to Malik confirmed that the couple has officially divorced, after 12 years of marriage.

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Here is their relationship timeline:

2003 – Mirza and Malik first met in 2003. When the couple spoke about their relationship at a TV show, Malik revealed that ‘Sania wasn’t all welcoming and didn’t show any interest’. In her autobiography Ace Against Odds, Mirza said that their first meeting happened at a time when they both were going through a rough phase professionally.

2009 – In late 2009, the couple got engaged after a few years of dating. The wedding was scheduled shortly after, but it was called off due to unknown reasons.

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2010 – On April 12, 2010, Malik and Mirza got married after a courtship of around five months. The wedding was a traditional Hyderabadi Muslim wedding ceremony at the Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad. It was followed by Pakistani wedding customs and their Walima in Sialkot, Pakistan, and a reception in Lahore.

The same year, they bought a lavish house at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, as their second home outside their motherland.

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2018 – On April 23, 2018, Mirza and Malik announced that they were expecting their first child. On October 30, Mirza gave birth to their son, Izhaan Mirza Malik.

2022 – In November of 2022, speculations started surfacing if the couple had separated following a cryptic post shared by Mirza on her Instagram. “Where do broken hearts go? To find Allah”, the post read. On November 9, a source close to Malik confirmed to InsideSport that the couple has officially separated.