Sania Mirza | Career timeline of India’s first female tennis superstar

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In 2001, Sania Mirza began her professional tennis career by playing her first event on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Circuit in India. The young and ambitious player was determined to make a name for herself in the world of tennis. (Image: Shutterstock)

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The following year, in 2002, Mirza achieved success early on in her career by winning three singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF Circuit. Additionally, she also won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the Asian Games, partnering with Leander Paes. (Image: Shutterstock)

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In 2003, Mirza made her debut in the main draw of a WTA event in Hyderabad, and continued to dominate on the ITF Circuit, winning three singles titles and one doubles title. (Image: Reuters)

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2004 proved to be a breakthrough year for Mirza, as she won her first WTA doubles title at the Hyderabad Open. She also continued her success on the ITF Circuit, winning six singles titles and two doubles titles. With her impressive performances and growing reputation, Mirza was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of tennis. (Image: Shutterstock)

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In 2005, Sania Mirza made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a singles WTA title, first Indian woman to reach a Grand Slam third round (at Australian Open) and the first Indian woman to crack Top 50 WTA Newcomer of the Year. This achievement was a significant milestone for Indian tennis, and it cemented Mirza's status as a rising star in the sport. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2006, Mirza continued to build on her success from the previous year, winning two WTA doubles titles. Her strong performances in doubles helped her to solidify her reputation as one of the top players in the sport. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2007, Mirza had an even more successful year, winning four WTA doubles titles and reaching a career-high ranking of 27th in the WTA Singles Rankings. This was a significant achievement for Mirza, and it cemented her status as one of the top players in the world. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2008, Mirza made her debut at the Olympic Games in Beijing. However, she had to retire from her first-round singles outing due to a wrist injury. Despite this setback, Mirza became the first Indian woman in tennis to surpass $1 million in career prize money, a testament to her successful career. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2009, Mirza won a WTA doubles title and her first Grand Slam title in mixed doubles at the Australian Open with partner Bhupathi. She also won one singles title on the ITF Circuit. (Image: Reuters)

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She won one WTA doubles title, and one singles title on ITF Circuit in 2010 . She won three WTA doubles titles, and made her doubles top 10 debut in 2011. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2012, Mirza won two WTA doubles titles and reached the quarterfinals with Leander Paes at the London Olympics. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2013, Mirza played her first Top 10 doubles season, finishing at number 9. She won five WTA doubles titles, further solidifying her reputation as one of the top doubles players in the world. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2014, Mirza won three WTA doubles titles, including the WTA Finals with partner Black, capping off a highly successful year and continuing her dominance in the doubles circuit. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2015, Sania Mirza became the first Indian woman to rise to No.1 in doubles and won nine WTA titles with her Swiss partner Martina Hingis. She also became the first Indian woman to lift a Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2016, Mirza recorded 19 consecutive wins with Hingis and won eight WTA doubles titles. She also reached the semi-finals in mixed doubles at the Rio Olympics with Rohan Bopanna. (Image: Reuters)

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In 2018, Mirza took a break from the professional tour after the 2017 season. (Image: Shutterstock)

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In 2020, Mirza made a comeback and became the first Indian to win the Fed Cup Heart Award. (Image: Shutterstock)

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In 2022, Mirza announced her plan to retire and missed the US Open due to an elbow injury. (Image: Shutterstock)

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In January 2023, Mirza played her last Grand Slam match at the Australian Open and lost in the mixed doubles final with Rohan Bopanna. (Image: Reuters)