GOA - Indian tennis star Sania Mirza who is married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, has always been very private about her personal life and rarely opens up about her future family plans. However, in a recent interview, the tennis star stated that she would want a daughter whenever she decides to start a family.

She then said she would want her child’s surname to be Mirza Malik, reported The Indian Express.

“Today I will tell you a secret. My husband and I have spoken about it and we have decided that whenever we have a child, the child will have Mirza Malik as a surname and not just Malik. So that’s where we stand as a family including my husband. He actually wants a daughter,” Sania said during a panel discussion on gender bias at the Goa Fest 2018.

Sania spoke about her personal experiences of gender discrimination, where she has heard some of her relatives telling her parents that they should have had a son so that the family name continue.

“We are two sisters and have never wished that we had a brother. I have had fights with my uncles and aunts, who talk about it or come up and tell my parents that they should have had a son. For us, daughters are daughters and there was nothing like wanting a son to carry the family name forward,” the 31-year-old said.

“I have not changed my surname (post marriage) and my name is still Sania Mirza and it will remain that way. The family name is going to go forward,” she added. - Agencies