Maria Sharapova took to her official Instagram account to confirm her engagement with British businessman Alexander Gilkes.
Former tennis star Maria Sharapova on Saturday announced her engagement to British businessman and art dealer Alexander Gilkes. The 33-year-old, who had announced her retirement from tennis in Feburary earlier this year, took to Instagram to confirm the news.
“I said yes from the first day we met… This was our little secret, wasn’t it @gilkesa,” Sharapova posted on Instagram.
Sharapova, who is a five-time Grand Slam champion, had confirmed her relationship with Gilkes in 2018. The couple took a trip to the Costwolds in Englandm and often made public appearances together.
Sharapova previously dated fellow tennis star Grigor Dimitrov and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine.
Gilkes, meanwhile, has close relations with the British Royal Family, being a friend of Prince William from college days. He was earlier married to British desinger Misha Nonoo. He got divorced in 2016.
Sharapova burst onto the tennis scene at 17 when she won Wimbledon in 2004 and would go on to complete a career Grand Slam with two titles at the French Open and one each at the U.S. Open and Australian Open.
The Russian, who moved to Florida as a child, served a 15-month ban after failing a doping test in 2016.
Since that suspension, Sharapova managed to reach only one major quarterfinal.
