Maria Sharapova congratulated by fans after confirming engagement to long-time boyfriend

Former World No.1 Maria Sharapova confirmed on Thursday, December 17, that she is engaged to her long-time boyfriend  Alexander Gilkes. Seeded 13th and aged 17, Maria Sharapova shot to fame at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. Her upset of the top seed and defending champion, Serena Williams, led her to her first Grand Slam singles title - also making her one of the youngest females ever to win the title. The Russian tennis star ended her 17-year long career in January this year with 5 Grand Slam titles to her name. 

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Is Sharapova married? Maria Sharapova engagement announcement

Maria Sharapova announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend Alexander Gilkes via Instagram on Thursday. The tennis ace shared a series of pictures of herself and Gilkes captioned "I said yes from the first day we met❤️This was our little secret, wasn’t it 💍🥂@gilkesa". Sharapova and Gilkes were first spotted together at the Argento Ball for the Elton John Aids Foundation in June 2018 as well as in Beverly Hills in March of 2018. The couple confirmed their relationship in October 2018, while on a romantic trip to the Cotswolds. 

Sharapova has previously been in a relationship with fellow tennis star Grigor Dimitrov. She was also engaged to former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Sasha Vujacic, with whom she had been in a relationship since 2009. She confirmed that they had split in August 2012.

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Maria Sharapova boyfriend: Who is Alexander Gilkes?

Sharapova's fiance, Alexander Gilkes, also took to Instagram to share the happy news sharing a similar themed picture with Masha, writing "Thank you for making me a very very happy boy. I look forward to a lifetime of loving you, and learning from you @mariasharapova #💍". Gilkes, a British businessman and the co-founder of online auction house Paddle 8 is a celebrity in his own right and has rubbed shoulders with the Royals in the UK. 

The 41-year-old is the ex-husband of designer Misha Nonoo, the best friend of actor Meghan Markle. Infact, it was Nonoo who set up the 'Suits' actress with her now husband and senior member of the British Royal family - Prince Harry. Gilkes and Nonoo split up in 2016 after almost 13 years together. Educated at Eton College, Sharapova's finace is also a close friend of another prominent Royal - Prince William, with whom he has stayed in touch since their college days.

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Sharapova engagement announcement draws well wishers

Here is how celebrities/fans reacted to the announcement:

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Image Credits: Maria Sharapova & Alexander Gilkes Instagram