Sania Mirza, the former Indian tennis star, has returned to India after spending tense days in Dubai. Mirza, 39, resides in Dubai with her son; however, she decided to return to Hyderabad for Eid due to the ongoing uncertainty in the region following the escalation of tensions between Iran and the USA/Israel. Iran has been targeting some parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the war is showing no signs of slowing down. Speaking to NDTV, Mirza revealed that she decided to return once she heard fighter jets overhead.
Sania Mirza and her ex-husband Shoaib Malik welcomed son Izhaan in 2018. (Instagram/ Sania Mirza)
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She also stated that debris from an intercepted projectile had fallen close to her home in Al Barsha. “We heard fighter jets above our house and saw interceptions. There was debris that fell around 400-500 metres from where we live,” she told NDTV.
“I came last week. Honestly, Dubai is my second home. A few incidents occurred, and at that point, I thought it would be better to come back. We didn't feel unsafe, but it did feel uncertain,” she added.
She said the decision to return to India was driven by the presence of a young child in her home. However, she was quick to say that she never directly felt unsafe in Dubai.
“You don't want your child going through that. He was asking questions. It didn't feel unsafe, but it did feel uncertain and unsettling,” she said.
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It is worth noting that Mirza lives in Dubai for most of the year, and her son, Izhaan, also attends school there.
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It is worth noting that Mirza lives in Dubai for most of the year, and her son, Izhaan, also attends school there.
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“School is supposed to start next week, but we'll monitor the situation. I'm lucky that I can come back to Hyderabad and still have a home here with family,” she said.
“I hope things settle down soon,” she added.
Earlier, Bloomberg News reported that the key port of Fujairah in the UAE suspended oil loading.
Eid homecoming
The former Indian tennis star also revealed that returning to Hyderabad during Ramzan is a long-standing tradition.
“I come every Eid. We try to spend the last week of Ramzan in Hyderabad because Ramzan here has to be experienced. It's always nice to be around family," she said.
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"My son loves coming to his grandparents because nobody says no to anything here. He's travelled a lot already, so he adjusts anywhere,” she concluded.
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
Home/Sports/Tennis/Sania Mirza returns to India after spending tense days in Dubai: ‘Heard fighter jets above our house’
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