On Saturday, Pakistan star cricketer Shoaib Malik tied the knot with the country’s actress Sana Javed. Amid the marriage, there has been a lot of speculation about the divorce from his previous wife, Sania Mirza.

A few days ago, Sania Mirza shared a cryptic quote post on her Instagram stories, saying, “Divorce is hard.” With the post, it seemed like the divorce had happened recently. Sania’s father, Imran Mirza, However, on Sunday confirmed that the couple has been separated for a few months now.

“Sania has always kept her personal life away from the public eye. However, today the need has arisen for her father to share that Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now. She wishes Shoaib well for his new journey ahead!” he was quoted in a post he shared on social media.

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— Imran Mirza (@imrandomthought) January 21, 2024

“At this sensitive period of her life, we would like to request all fans and well-wishers to refrain from indulging in any specualtion and to respect her need for privacy,” he further added.

Sania and Shoaib have a five-year-old son, Izaan. The couple married in 2010 and used to live in the UAE.

“Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard. Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard. Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard. Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard. Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely (sic),” reads the quote Sania shared on her Instagram story.

Mirza, one of India’s greatest tennis players ever has announced her retirement last year.

In a glittering career that spanned 20 years, where she won 43 WTA doubles titles and one singles trophy, Sania was seen a a trailblazer for women in sport. She recently added another chapter to that book by donning the hat of mentor to the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise in the Women’s Premier League.