Former world number one Maria Sharapova on Tuesday used the occasion of her 35th birthday to announce that she was pregnant with her first child.

The Russian five-time Grand Slam champion, who retired from the sport in 2020, shared the news on Instagram to her 4.2 million followers.

"Precious beginnings!!!," she wrote alongside a photo of her standing on a beach and smiling. "Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty."

In December, Sharapova and British businessman Alexander Gilkes revealed that they were engaged.

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.

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