Indian tennis star Sania Mirza’s father, Imran Mirza, has firmly denied the rumours of Sania’s alleged marriage with Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami circulating on social media.

Speaking to an Indian media outlet, he stated, “This is all rubbish. She has not even met him.”

The speculation began when Sania and Shami both posted thoughts on the possibility of second marriages on their social media accounts. This led fans to jump to conclusions about a potential match between the two athletes.

The rumours reached a fever pitch when an AI-generated image, which is a collage of Sania’s picture from her wedding with Shoaib and a picture of Shami with his ex-wife Hasin Jahan, went viral. In the edited image, Hasin’s picture was replaced with Sania’s, sparking more speculation.

According to the Times of India, these rumours have been further exacerbated by several cryptic posts shared by both stars, hinting at new beginnings.

Sania and Shoaib tied the knot in April 2010 and have a son named Izhaan Mirza-Malik. Rumors of their separation had been circulating for some time before Shoaib announced his marriage to Pakistani actor Sana Javed. It was later confirmed that Sania sought separation from Shoaib in January. The divorce proceedings were kept under wraps until Shoaib’s public announcement regarding his second marriage. Post-announcement, Sania’s family issued a statement confirming the divorce.

On the other side, Mohammad Shami has been separated from his wife, Hasin Jahan, since 2014. The couple, who got married the same year, have a child together. Shami’s personal life has also been under media scrutiny, especially after his highly publicized separation.

Meanwhile, Sania recently took to Instagram to share the new nameplate of her house post her divorce from Shoaib. It read only “Sania and Izhaan,” signalling a new chapter in her life.