Maria Sharapova's 35th birthday will be one she'll always remember: The retired five-time major-winner announced that she's expecting her first child with fiancé Alexander Gilkes.
Sharapova announced the happy news with an Instagram post, where the bikini-clad former World No. 1 posed by the ocean and made a cheeky reference to her special day.
"Precious beginnings!!!" she wrote, coupled with a white heart and angel emoji. "Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty."
Current and former players were among those who congratulated Sharapova in the comments, including Johanna Konta, Elena Vesnina, Barbora Strycova, Flavia Pennetta and Billie Jean King.
Sharapova and Gilkes, a British businessman, have been in a relationship since 2018. They announced their engagement last December, news that they also broke on Instagram.
A frequent guest in Sharapova's player's box while she was on tour, Gilkes also accompanied her off the court to star-studded affairs including the famed Met Gala in 2019 and 2021.
Sharapova retired from tennis in 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and her last career match was a first-round defeat to Croatia's Donna Vekic at that year's Australian Open. She is just one of 10 women to win all four Grand Slam tournaments all-time, winning five in all, and spent 21 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings.
