Former women’s tennis World No. 1 Maria Sharapova pregnant with first child

A frequent guest in Sharapova’s player’s box while she was on tour, Gilkes also accompanied her off court to star-studded affairs including the famed Met Gala in New York in 2019 and 2021

Former women’s tennis World No. 1 Maria Sharapova is pregnant with her first child, the Russian announced on her 35th birthday on Tuesday.

The five-time Grand Slam singles champion has been engaged since December 2020 to British businessman Alexander Gilkes.

A frequent guest in Sharapova’s player’s box while she was on tour, Gilkes also accompanied her off court to star-studded affairs including the famed Met Gala in New York in 2019 and 2021.

“Precious beginnings!!! Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty,” she captioned the photo on Instagram. In the picture, Sharapova —who lives in the United States—is seen touching her stomach and posing on a beach. Sharapova, 35, followed the initial message by posting a thank you message to all those of her 4.2 million followers on Instagram, who congratulated her on the news. “Waking up in paradise and to so many beautiful messages,” she wrote.

Sharapova won all four Grand Slam singles titles— including the French Open twice—before retiring in 2020.

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