Sania Mirza's father reveals details about her divorce from Shoaib Malik

Imran Mirza’s reaction comes after Shoaib Malik officially announced his marriage to Pakistani actor Sana on Saturday, dispelling longstanding rumours about their relationship amid speculation surrounding his separation from Sania Mirza.

Imran Mirza said that the separation was initiated by Sania through a process known as 'khula,' which denotes a Muslim woman's right to unilaterally divorce her husband, a report in the media said.

Despite rumours about their separation, both Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik had remained tight-lipped about their personal lives.

However, on January 17, they hinted at marital issues when Sania shared a cryptic post about 'divorce' on Instagram.

Sania Mirza, who is currently part of the Australian Open commentary panel for Indian broadcasters, has not publicly addressed the swirling rumours about their separation.

On Saturday, both Shoaib Malik and Sana Javed took to social media to share photos from their wedding ceremony.

Even as the speculations over Sania and Shoaib’s divorce were doing the rounds, they came together to celebrate their son, Izhaan Mirza Malik's 5th birthday in Dubai last year.

Shoaib Malik expressed admiration for her career accomplishments through a heartfelt note when Sania Mirza played her final Grand Slam match at the Australian Open last year.

The two sports stars also joined as hosts in a talk show in the UAE last year, displaying their camaraderie beyond their respective sports careers.