Shah Rukh Khan: Sania is the ‘rani of racket’

Mohammad Siddique, Shah Rukh Khan, the Badshah of Bollywood was in Hyderabad on Wednesday to unveil the autobiography of another star, India’s top tennis player Sania Mirza.

The glittering hall of Falaknuma Palace — the 19th century magnificent palace turned luxury hotel — was packed with guests, admirers and media as Khan presented by, as Khan called her, the “Rani of Racket” [queen of the racket].

co-authored by Mirza’s father Imran, tells the story of the ups and down, triumphs and setbacks she faced in her life, including the upheaval during her wedding to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik in 2010 after a broken engagement to Hyderabadi businessman Sohrab Mirza.

Narrating the story of her struggle on and off the court Mirza said that the surgeries she had on both her knees and her wrist were the most difficult challenges she faced. She also went into depression after her knee surgery in 2010, confining herself to her room. “It had forced me to stop something I love to do — play tennis,” said the ace tennis player who believes playing at the Olympics was one of the highest points in her career.

She also stated she “wanted to stay as number one for as long as possible. I would love to finish my career as the No. 1 in the world”.

Khan, who was very impressed by her determination despite the many setbacks, reminded guests of his long association with Mirza. “I could connect with the fact that when she got injured and could no longer play singles she turned it around in the doubles and reached the No. 1 spot,” said Khan.