Mumbai, November 13, 2025: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza has described her divorce from former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik as the “worst experience” of her life, revealing that the emotional turmoil once led her to suffer a panic attack.
Recalling the incident during a recent television appearance, Mirza said she began shivering and lost consciousness shortly before a live show, where the director and choreographer had to step in to manage the situation.
Filmmaker Farah Khan, who was hosting the show, praised Mirza for her composure in facing personal and professional challenges. “I’ve seen Sania at her highs and her lows, and she’s handled both with incredible grace,” Khan said.
Mirza, visibly emotional, credited Khan for encouraging her to continue working despite her distress.
“If Farah had not come and said, ‘No matter what, you are going and doing this show,’ I wouldn’t have done it. I would have left,” Mirza recalled. “At my lowest moment after the divorce, you showed up on my set. I had to go live right after that — and till today, I remember that moment.”
The former world No. 1 in doubles ended her 12-year marriage with Pakistan’s ex-cricket captain Shoaib Malik earlier this year. Malik has since married Pakistani actor Sana Javed, marking his third marriage.
Just two days ago, Sania Mirza had shared a motivational post on Instagram that drew widespread attention. The post, interpreted by many as a reflection on her personal life, read:
“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… Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely.”
The post went viral across Indian and Pakistani social media circles, with fans and celebrities expressing support for the tennis icon’s courage and resilience.
