Earlier this year, Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza and former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik divorced after over 14 years of marriage. Though they both lived in Dubai with their son, Izhaan, Sania now resides separately in her luxurious Dubai mansion while ensuring that Izhaan remains connected to both parents. Sania often visits Dubai so her son can spend time with both her and Shoaib.
Izhaan Mirza Malik celebrated his sixth birthday this past week in Dubai, where both Sania and Shoaib marked the occasion. Due to the separation, they celebrated Izhaan’s birthday independently rather than together.
Watch:
View this post on Instagram
Happy birthday champ! May you have many more years filled with laughter and love Izzu🤍 Baba always has your back and may you grow up to make us all proud. pic.twitter.com/RQHHRMkqqx
— Shoaib Malik 🇵🇰 (@realshoaibmalik) October 31, 2024
Sania shared a heartfelt Instagram post for her son: “My baby boy, I can’t believe you are 6. You are the reason for my smile,” she wrote, adding a blue heart emoji and “Happy birthday laddu.” The post included photos of Sania kissing Izhaan on the cheek and another showing him grinning with his birthday cake. The cake was creatively decorated, featuring a playful image of Cristiano Ronaldo holding Izhaan’s hand, both donning the iconic number 7 jersey.
Shoaib Malik also dedicated a post to Izhaan, writing, “Happy birthday champ! May you have many more years filled with laughter and love Izzu. Baba always has your back and may you grow up to make us all proud.” He shared a video of Izhaan cutting his cake, which was surrounded by car-themed muffins inspired by brands like BMW, Audi, Bugatti, Porsche, and Ferrari, with a yellow Lamborghini—a nod to Shoaib’s own car—at the center.
Sania and Shoaib, who were married in April 2010 in Hyderabad, had welcomed Izhaan in October 2018. While Izhaan lives with Sania, Shoaib announced on January 20, 2024, on social media that he had remarried Pakistani actress Sana Javed. Following this, Sania’s family issued a statement clarifying her situation: “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.”