Indian tennis star Sania Mirza has given birth to a baby boy, her Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik said on Tuesday (30), prompting a flood of congratulatory messages on social media.
"Excited to announce: It's a boy, and my girl is doing great and keeping strong as usual #Alhumdulilah. Thank you for the wishes and Duas, we are humbled. #BabyMirzaMalik," Malik tweeted.
Mirza and Malik enjoy a high profile owing to their successful sports careers and their unusual marriage straddling the border of nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.
"It's a boyyyy!!!!" Mirza's her younger sister, Anam Mirza, wrote on Instagram.
Malik's manager and agent, Ameem Haq, said the former Pakistan captain was "over the moon" to become a father.
"#BabyMirzaMalik boy is here! Baby and mother are all smiles, the dad is over the moon," Haq tweeted.
Mirza, who is a three-time Grand Slam doubles winner, announced her pregnancy in April, prompting speculation her tennis career was over. She had been sidelined since last October with a knee injury.
The 31-year-old, who became the first Indian to win a WTA tournament singles title in 2005, has said the baby's surname would be Mirza-Malik.
All-rounder Malik, 36, has been Pakistan's key player in the limited-overs format after he retired from Test cricket in 2015.
Damian Talbot