Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza has called off her engagement with childhood friend Mohammed Sohrab Mirza, citing "incompatibility".
The 23-year-old Hyderabadi got engaged to 24-year-old Sohrab, who is from an influential business family, last July.
"We were friends for years but found ourselves incompatible as fiances. I wish Sohrab the very best in life," Sania said in a brief statement.
Sania's father Imran Mirza said the two families continue to be on good terms despite the couple's split.
"The two families have known each other for over half a century. Despite the engagement not working out, the friendship continues," he said.
Both Sania and Sohrab come from the same middle class social background and their Hyderabad-based families know each other well. Sohrab's father Adil Mirza owns Universal Bakers chain and runs a real estate business.
Imran Mirza said calling off the engagement will not affect the friendship of the two families and the decision was taken after the families discussed the matter.
Adil Mirza confirming the development said, "We agreed to it for the children's happiness."
Sania, the most successful Indian woman tennis player and Sohrab, a business management student, got engaged with a lot of fanfare. The engagement generated so much passion that at least two of her fans barged in to her residence demanding that she should marry them.
During last six months, Sohrab was seen going around with Sania and also accompanied her on her professional tours abroad. Though both families were not willing to go in to details, sources said differences cropped up on various issues, including whether Sania should continue her professional career after marriage and when the marriage should take place.
Imran Mirza said the decision has nothing to do with Sania's career and will not affect her future as a tennis player.
"It has nothing to do with her career. She has been playing before; she has been playing through the engagement and I think she will continue to play," he told the reporters in Hyderabad on Thursday.
"It was very much a mutual decision. Sania has already said there was incompatibility between the two and they both came to us. It was mutually agreed that in the interest of everyone concerned it should be called off," added Imran, who also doubles as Sania's coach and manager.
To a question whether the decision will hurt Sania emotionally, he replied: "It could, but she has to fight out of it. It has quite hurt Sohrab, but he has to come out of it too."
Sania leaves for Kuala Lumpur on Friday to play in the Fed Cup Asia Oceanic Group II event.
