Life is currently sweet for the former tennis player and Sugarpova founder.
Former world number one tennis player Maria Sharapova celebrated her 35th birthday by announcing her pregnancy on Instagram. “Precious beginnings!!! Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty,” read the caption.
Sharapova has been engaged since December 2020 with British businessman Alexander Gilkes, owner of Squared Circles Venture Studio, a company that describes itself as residing at the intersection of operations, branding, capital, and talent.
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“We invest in, build and accelerate businesses that improve the world around us,” reads the Squared Circles website. Sharapova is also listed as a board member of the company.
This was not the only announcement Sharapova made. Today, she also shared the news that she is joining the Moncler Board of Directors. “Humbled by the opportunity to become a small part of the present ad future of such an iconic company,” said the post, adding that perhaps Milan, where the brand is based, could be her baby’s first business trip.
Moncler, known for their luxury down jackets, is the go-to puffer of choice for those who wish to look winter-ready chic, whether in the city or skiing down the slopes of Chamonix. In a statement welcoming Sharapova along with former president of Nike Inc. Jeanne Jackson and Mercedes-Benz AG’s vice president of communications and marketing Bettina Fettzer, chairman and CFO Remo Ruffini was effusive in his praise.
Their addition, said Ruffini, will “reinforce our vision ‘Beyond Fashion, Beyond Luxury’ with their remarkable backgrounds and experiences. Their perspectives and insights will bring further momentum to the group’s understanding of youth culture and community building, as part of our journey to connect to more and new audiences around the globe.”
Retired from tennis in February 2020 at the age of 32, Sharapova is most remembered for bursting into the scene at Wimbledon in 2004, when as a 17-year-old she beat No.1 seed, Serena Williams, in the singles final.
She has also won the 2006 U.S Open, 2008 Australian Open, and two French Open titles (2012 and 2014), becoming one of only ten women to have won all four Grand Slams at least once.
She also has an Olympics silver medal from the 2012 London Games. All in all, Sharapova has had 36 World Tennis Association (WTA) titles in her career. In terms of prize money, Sharapova is estimated to have earned a total of around $39m. The WTA joined the congratulatory mood by re-posting Sharapova’s pregnancy announcement.
For 11 straight years, Sharapova was the highest-paid female athlete in the world, the highest being $30m in earnings in 2015. She has held endorsements with Nike, Evian, Tag Heuer, and Porche. She is also the founder of Sugarpova, a line of luxury sweets that launched in 2012.
Photo from Squared Circles
