Retired tennis professional Maria Sharapova gave birth to her first child on July 1, a son she and fiancé Alexander Gilkes have named Theodore
Maria Sharapova is officially a mom!
The retired tennis star, 35, revealed on Friday that she and fiancé Alexander Gilkes, 42, welcomed their first child together — a son named Theodore who was born on Friday, July 1, according to the couple’s announcement.
Their happy news was revealed in sweet Instagram post of the now family-of-three. “Theodore,” Sharapova captioned the picture, which showed her and Gilkes holding their baby boy, his birth date written out in roman numerals.
“The most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for,” she wrote.
Sharapova and Gilkes have yet to provide any further details on their son’s birth.
In December 2020, the five-time Grand Slam champ confirmed her engagement to Gilkes, a British businessman and co-founder of online auction house Paddle8. The couple first went public with their relationship in 2018.
Sharapova announced that her pregnancy on her 35th birthday in April, in an Instagram post.
“Precious beginnings!!! 🤍👼🏻 Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty ☺️🐣🎂,” she captioned a picture of herself on the beach cradling her growing baby bump.
The new addition to Sharapova’s family comes about two years after her retirement from professional tennis, after the 2020 Australian Open. She announced the momentous decision in a guest column for Vanity Fair.
“In giving my life to tennis, tennis gave me a life,” Sharapova wrote. “I’ll miss it every day.”
“I’ll miss the training and my daily routine: Waking up at dawn, lacing my left shoe before my right, and closing the court’s gate before I hit my first ball of the day,” she continued. “I’ll miss my team, my coaches. I’ll miss the moments sitting with my father on the practice court bench.”
The Russian athlete added: “Looking back now, I realize that tennis has been my mountain. My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible. After 28 years and five Grand Slam titles, though, I’m ready to scale another mountain—to compete on a different type of terrain.”
