New York (AFP)
The former world number one in tennis, Russian Maria Sharapova, announced that she had given birth to her first child, Theodore, on social media.
The 35-year-old is the first child to hold five major championships from British businessman Alexander Gilkes, 42.
“It’s the most beautiful, challenging and rewarding gift our little family can ask for,” Sharapova wrote on Instagram, noting in Roman numerals that Theodore’s birth date is July 1, 2022.
And Sharapova, who announced her pregnancy last April, is among only ten players who have won at least once the four major titles in tennis (Australia, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Flushing Meadows).
In 2004, she won her first major title at Wimbledon at the age of 17, followed by Flushing Meadows in 2006, Australia in 2008 and Roland Garros in 2012 and 2014.
She also won the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, losing to Serena Williams, and won 36 titles in her professional career in singles.
Her career suddenly stopped in 2016, after a positive doping test on the sidelines of the Australian Open, which led to her being suspended for 15 months, before returning in April 2017 without regaining her levels due to chronic shoulder pain.
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