Maria Sharapova announces birth of first child Theodore

London: Former world No 1 Maria Sharapova announced the birth of her first child Theodore on Friday, sharing a picture of the newborn along with her fiance.

“The most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for,” Sharapova, who is engaged to British businessman Alexander Gilkes, said in a post on Instagram.

The Russian five-time Grand Slam champion retired from tennis in 2020.

Although she competed under the Russian flag during her career — and is the only Russian woman to have won a career Grand Slam — Sharapova has lived in the United States since she came to the country as a young tennis prodigy.