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Maria Sharapova is a fulfilled woman. At 35, the former world number 1 gave birth to her first child on Friday. On her Instagram account, the Russian shared a snapshot of her son, Theodore, alongside her fiancé, British businessman Alexander Gilke. “The most beautiful gift, the most stimulating and the most gratifying that our little family could ask for”, marveled the former champion.
During her career, Maria Sharapova won five Grand Slam tournaments, including two Roland-Garros (2012, 2014). She was subsequently suspended for 15 months in 2016, after testing positive for meldonium (a substance considered doping), during the Australian Open. Returning to the courts in 2017, the Russian then announced her retirement from sport in 2020.