Former tennis player and Grand Slam champ Maria Sharapova announced on her 35th birthday (Apr. 19) that she’s finally going to be a mommy. “Precious beginnings,” Maria captioned the photo she posted on Instagram. In the pic, Maria is standing on a beach wearing a bikini top and a pair of loose sweats, with her hands resting on her bare baby bump. “Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty,” she added. In the photo, Maria tagged her baby daddy and fiancé, British businessman Alexander Gilkes.
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Friends and fans flooded the comments section with congratulations and well-wishes. One of our personal faves was left by entrepreneur Olivia June: “YOU TWO ARE GOING TO HAVE THE MOST SPECTACULAR BABY!” because hell yeah they are! Just look at the ‘rents… there is no way that their baby will be anything less than gorgeous, smart and talented, am I right?
The baby news comes two years after Maria stepped away from the court. In a 2020 essay titled “Tennis — I’m saying goodbye,” Maria announced that she was hanging up her racquet, at least professionally. She wrote:
“How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love—one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys—a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years?”
Maria, a former World No. 1 ranked player, leaves behind a legacy that includes nearly 650 singles wins and 36 singles titles, including 5 Grand Slam wins at the Australian Open (2008), French Open (2012 and 2014), Wimbledon (2004), and the U.S. Open (2006). This makes her one of only ten women to win all four Grand Slam titles during her career, according to CNN. She’s also medaled at the 2012 London Olympics, taking home the silver in women’s singles tennis.