She is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, with a career high ranking of 27 in singles and 18 in doubles. She was ranked 31st in the singles category and 21st in the doubles category in the WTA rankings of April 7, 2008.
Sania Mirza, the teenage sensation from Hyderabad has shot to fame and success in a very short time. In February 2005, The 22-year-old tennis player became the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title defeating Alyona Bondarenko of Ukraine in the Hyderabad Open Finals. Sania Mirza has been honoured with the Arjuna award by the Indian government for the year 2004.
Sania is the sports icon of South Asia and has a large fan following. She became the brand ambassador of Lotto Sports Italia, the sports apparel and footwear company, and will also launch a signature line series. Besides wearing bold clothes, Sania is a devout Muslim and follows her religion closely.
Billboards in India show her face and boast that a billion people are behind her. She was listed recently by Britain's New Statesman magazine as one of 10 people who can change the world.
