born November 15, 1986,[1] is an Indian tennis player. She started her tennis career in 2003. In 2004 she was awarded the Arjuna award by the Indian Government. She is known for her powerful forehand ground strokes.
Career Statistics
Tournam-
ents Won |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
N/A |
2 |
| Runner-up |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
N/A |
4 |
| Overall Win-Loss |
6–1 |
23–14 |
40–21 |
23–13 |
29–15 |
21–10 |
N/A |
127–6
32 |
| Year End Ranking |
80 |
57 |
21 |
29 |
23 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
Career
In April 2003, Mirza made her debut in the India Fed Cup team, winning all three singles matches. Mirza won the 2003 Wimbledon Championships Girls' Doubles title, teaming up with Alisa Kleybanova of Russia.
Mirza is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, with a career high ranking of 27 in singles and 18 in doubles. She holds the distinction of being the first Indian woman to be seeded in a Grand Slam tennis tournament. Earlier in 2005, she had become the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the 2005 U.S. Open, defeating Mashona Washington, Maria Elena Camerin and Marion Bartoli. In 2004, she finished runner-up at the Asian Tennis Championship. In winning, with Mahesh Bhupathi, the Mixed Doubles event at the 2009 Australian Open, she became the first Indian woman to win any grand slam event.
In 2006, Mirza was awarded a Padma Shri, India's fourth highest honor for her achievements as a Tennis player.
Controversy
The short tennis clothes she has to wear in the court has drawn some criticism by Muslim religious groups, Mirza being a practicing Muslim who prays five times a day, and fasts during Ramzan.
Mirza was pictured resting her feet and showing her bare soles during a press conference at the 2008 Hopman Cup, with an Indian flag in front.[11] She faced possible prosecution under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act after a private citizen complained. Mirza protested that, "I love my country, I wouldn't be playing Hopman Cup otherwise."
