Sports Stars: The Divorce Saga

Sports is one of the most demanding yet enjoyable fields to work in. It takes a lot out of sportspersons to achieve the ultimate glory in world sports. The fans too perceive these sportspersons as invincible and best in their business, sharing good camaraderie with their fans.

But, off the field, there have been many instances of our favorite heroes grappling with personal issues, emotional breakdowns, and the same vulnerabilities a normal human faces. In the end, we see them parting ways with their companions. Today, we will discuss some of the high-profile divorce cases in the sporting industry that sent shockwaves around the globe.

Sportspersons Who Got Divorced

1. Dinesh Karthik & Nikita Vanjara

Former Indian Cricketer Dinesh Karthik has had an up-and-down career having made his debut in 2004, Karthik was soon sidelined from the side as the emergence of MS Dhoni who later went on to be the greatest cricket icon replaced Karthik. However, Karthik is known to make comebacks as he kept toiling hard in the domestic circuit and made multiple comebacks into the white-ball team. Karthik as a player has won a T20 World Cup (2007) & a Champions Trophy in 2013. Karthik has a very' loving' persona as fans and players have witnessed all these years but amidst the laughter & banters this star Indian Wicket-keeper had also had his share of personal life issues.

Karthik married childhood friend Nikita Vanjara in 2007. The couple divorced in 2012, marking a difficult phase for the Indian keeper batter both on and off the field. Nikita later married Karthik's fellow Tamil Nadu teammate Murali Vijay. Meanwhile, Karthik married Indian squash player Deepika Pallikal in 2015. Both Cricketers, who were once good friends, are no longer in touch.

2. Hardik Pandya & Natasa Stankovic

One of the most high-profile divorce cases in the sporting industry of all time revolves around star Indian All-Rounder Hardik Pandya. Hardik Pandya got engaged to Bollywood actress and dancer Natasa Stankovic on Jan 1, 2020. The couple tied the knot during the COVID-19 Lockdown. On 30th July 2020, the couple welcomed their first child, a boy, Agastya Pandya. The couple renewed their wedding vows in Feb 2023 in a lavish wedding at Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Things were going rosy until Hardik Pandya was appointed as the captain of the Mumbai Indians squad, Pandya was subjected to a lot of backlashes, and slowly things started to get worse, as Hardik's former wife Natasa Stankovic was also dragged into the online abuse. Hardik during the season too especially at the home ground of Mumbai Indians the Wankhede stadium booed him from all corners of the park.

Hardik after a flop season both as a player and captain performed very well in the triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup gaining back the love and respect of the fans with personal problems taking a backseat for the time being. However, an Instagram post on 24th July 2024 sent some shockwaves amongst the fans as the power couple of Hardik Pandya & Natasa Stankovic announced their separation after 4 years.

3. Shikhar Dhawan & Ayesha Mukherjee

Shikhar Dhawan was one of the star Indian cricketers back then while Ayesha Mukherjee was a kickboxer. The couple met each other through social media. Ayesha, born in a Bengali family in Kolkata to a Bengali father & a British mother moved to Australia at the age of 8 years. When Shikhar met Ayesha she was 10 years older than him and a divorcee with two daughters. The gap didn't hamper their relationship as the couple fell in love and tied the knot in 2012. In 2014 the couple had a child, a boy named Zoraver.

Things were going fine for some time as the couple shared their pictures on social media websites, Shikhar loved being around his son Zoraver. However, things took a negative turn as Shikhar was living in India & her wife was living in Australia, while Shikhar wanted his wife Ayesha to settle in India but, Ayesha rejected it and instead asked Shikhar to buy some properties in Ayesha's name in Australia. Few reports have suggested that this led to some big fights between the couple.

Things kept getting worse for Dhawan both on & off the field as his poor performances with the bat saw him dropped from the squad. in 2023, the court finally granted Shikhar Dhawan a divorce from his wife on the grounds of cruelty.

4. Shoaib Malik & Sania Mirza

Former Pakistani batter & star Indian Tennis player Sania Mirza tied the knot in a traditional Hyderabadi Muslim wedding ceremony in the Taj, Telangana, India in 2010. This was followed by a Pakistani-style wedding. This was followed by a Walima ceremony which was held in Sialkot, Pakistan.

The couple was blessed with a baby boy named Izhaan Mirza Malik in October 2018. The couple soon drifted away from each other and announced their separation in 2024.

5. Mike Tyson & Robin Givens

Star Boxer Mike Tyson & Robin Givens's marriage lasted for just 8 months, the couple got married in February 1988 in a Holy Catholic Church in a traditional in Chicago. The marriage between the couple was tumultuous with mental abuse, and violence, especially on Tyson's part.

Givens described her wedding with Tyson as 'Torture', 'Pure Hell', worse than anything could she imagine. After a tumultuous year, the couple finally announced their separation on 14th February 1989.