Sania on Time cover

Indian tennis icon Sania Mirza has become the first Indian sportswoman to feature on the cover of Time magazine and is being included in its 2005 list of Asia8217;s heroes.

In the list of heroes, Sania shares space with Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu, South Korean footballer Park Ji Sung and Japan8217;s Ken Watanbe.

Described by Time as a role model for women in the country and the fastest rising star in the sport this year, Sania features on the cover of the special issue of the magazine which will hit the stands on Monday.

Sania seeded eighth

Meanwhile, Sania is seeded eighth in the 170,000 Aig Open WTA Tour event in Tokyo, Japan.