Maria Sharapova Tightly Hugs Her Young Son in a Rare Picture Celebrating His Third Birthday

Maria Sharapova recently celebrated her son Theodore’s third birthday. She shared a heartfelt and tight hug with her son to celebrate the special occasion.

Sharapova and her fiancé, British businessman Alexander Gilkes, have been together for seven years. The couple started dating in 2018 and became engaged two years later, in 2020. They welcomed their son, Theodore, on Jul. 1, 2022.

Maria Sharapova Celebrates Son Theodore’s Third Birthday

Sharapova recently took to social media and shared a touching photograph of herself hugging Theodore during his birthday festivities.

In the image, the former World No. 1 is dressed in a stylish green dress, while her three-year-old son is wearing a striped shirt and matching pants. The photo’s backdrop was adorned with pastel-colored balloons in shades of green, yellow, and white, complemented by an inflatable horse.

“This is 3!!! 🎈It’s really true. It goes so so fast 💨,” Sharapova captioned her Instagram post.

 

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Following Theodore’s birth, Sharapova shared a photograph of herself and Gilkes gazing lovingly at their newborn son. She described their son to be ” beautiful,” “challenging,” and “rewarding gift” of their lives.

“Theodore VII•I•MMXXII 🍼🐣 The most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for,” Sharapova captioned her Instagram post.

 

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Sharapova announced her retirement from professional tennis in February 2020. She concluded her career with five Grand Slam titles: two French Open titles and one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. She secured a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics and was also ranked World No. 1 in the WTA rankings during her career, among other accolades.

“One of the Best Things That’s Happened to Me in My Life” – Maria Sharapova on Being a Mother

Last year, while speaking with Tennis Channel, Sharapova reflected on her journey into motherhood. She mentioned that she learns something new every day. She also revealed that parenthood requires strong “negotiation skills,” as it often involves giving in order to receive.

“It’s going. There’s a lot of negotiation skills that go on with parenthood which I didn’t know that the negotiations that I learned through my career in business and in the sport that I would apply to parenthood. But I’m learning about that every day. You got to give something to take something,” Sharapova said.

The former World No. 1 expressed that motherhood has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life.

“It’s been one of the best things that’s happened to me in my life and I get to teach him and grow with him. I get to learn through his actions and his findings. He’s exploring the world and I get to explore with him. He has very long eyelashes and I don’t know where they come from but I appreciate them,” she added.

Sharapova’s last major career title came in 2014 when she won the French Open. She had defeated Simona Halep in the final to secure her second title at Roland Garros and her fifth and final Grand Slam title overall.