Maria Sharapova Pregnant With First Child

Maria Sharapova is going to be a mom! The retired tennis star announced on Instagram Tuesday that she and fiancé Alexander Gilkes are expecting their first child together as she rings in her 35th birthday. Sharapova showed off her baby bump in a beach photo that she captioned, “Precious beginnings!!! Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty.”

Sharapova’s followers were quick to celebrate, with jeweler Jessica Mccormack commenting, “Amazing!!!!! Congratulations!!!! so happy for you guys,” and pro surfer Lakey Peterson writing, “Awe congrats Maria!!” Sharapova’s other followers wrote, “Double the celebrations! Happy birthday Maria, we can’t wait for the exciting things that are yet to come for you and your little one!” as another person added, “Oh wow, Maria! I’m so happy for you! This is amazing news. Congratulations to you and Alex! And all the best for you three!”

Sharapova and Gilkes announced on Instagram in December 2020 that they were engaged, sharing a sweet selfie to celebrate the milestone. “I said yes from the first day we met,” the athlete wrote alongside the post. “This was our little secret, wasn’t it.” Her businessman fiancé added in a post of his own, “Thank you for making me a very very happy boy. I look forward to a lifetime of loving you, and learning from you.”

In February 2020, Sharapova announced she was retiring from her tennis career after 28 years, writing in an essay for Vanity Fair at the time that she was ready to “compete on a different type of terrain.” She continued, “There are a few simple things I’m really looking forward to: A sense of stillness with my family. Lingering over a morning cup of coffee.  Unexpected weekend getaways. Workouts of my choice (hello, dance class!).”

“Tennis showed me the world – and it showed me what I was made of. It’s how I tested myself and how I measured my growth,” the athlete continued. “And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing. I’ll still be climbing. I’ll still be growing.”