Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza on Sunday released an official statement confirming that she and veteran Pakistan cricket star Shoaib Malik have been divorced for “few months”. The statement was released by Sania and her team just a day after Malik married popular Pakistani actress Sana Javed, requesting “privacy” and called for from fans on social media to stay away speculations.

“Sania has always kept her personal life away from the public eye. However, today the need has arisen for her to share that Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now. She wishes Shoaib well for his new journey ahead! At this sensitive period of her life, we would like to request all fans and well- wishers to refrain from indulging in any speculation and to respect her need for privacy,” the statement read.

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On Saturday, Malik had taken to social media to announce his marriage with Javed as he posted pictures from their wedding ceremony with the caption: “And we created you in pairs.” The Pyaare Afzal actress also shared photos from their wedding ceremony on her Instagram handle and later changed her bio from Sana Javed to Sana Shoaib Malik, thus confirming their marriage.

The two were rumoured to have been dating for quite some time now, as speculations over his separation from Sania were rife. However, neither Sania, a six-time Grand Slam winner, nor the former Pakistan cricket team captain, addressed the rumours of their divorce and were both spotted at their son, Izhaan Mirza Malik’s 5th birthday in Dubai last year. Malik had even penned a heartwarming note on social media, praising Sania and her achievements after she played her final Grand Slam match at the mixed doubles final in the 2023 Australian Open. The two also later hosted a talk show in the UAE last year where a host of guests were invited.

The rumours over their divorce began in the early part of 2022, and it remained in talk across social media as Sania and Malik made changes to their respective accounts. The two even deleted their photographs together on Instagram and unfollowed each other.

Even as the speculations remained after Malik’s post, a family member of Sania told news agency PTI on Saturday evening that the tennis ace had divorced her husband. “It was a ‘khula’”, said the family source, which refers to the right of a Muslim woman to divorce her husband unilaterally.