The Russian star Maria Sharapova has won five Grand Slam titles and built a global fan following during her long career. While her success on the tennis court made headlines, her personal life also attracted attention from fans and media. Over the years, Sharapova has been linked with several well-known personalities from sports, entertainment, and business.
Throughout her career, Sharapova’s relationships often became a talking point among tennis fans. Today, Sharapova is happily engaged to British businessman Alexander Gilkes and has started a new chapter of life as a mother. Here is a look at the men who have been part of Sharapova’s romantic journey over the years.
A look at Maria Sharapova’s relationships over the years
Maria Sharapova’s dating history first made headlines when she was rumored to be involved with American tennis star Andy Roddick in 2005. The two were frequently seen together during tournaments, especially around the 2006 US Open. Their closeness even led fans to create a nickname combining their surnames. At the time, Sharapova was also seen wearing a shirt with a playful message about love. However, Roddick later clarified publicly that the rumors about their relationship were not true.
He eventually married model Brooklyn Decker.
In 2008, Sharapova briefly dated television producer Charlie Ebersol. Their relationship lasted only a short time before the pair went their separate ways in the same year. Ebersol is the son of longtime sports television executive Dick Ebersol and later became known for his own work in the entertainment industry.
A year later, Sharapova entered a serious relationship with Slovenian basketball player Sasha Vujacic. The couple met in Los Angeles in 2009 and soon became one of the most talked-about sports couples. Vujacic regularly attended Sharapova’s matches and passionately supported her from the stands. They announced their engagement in 2010. However, despite their strong public bond, the couple eventually ended their engagement in 2012.
Sharapova later dated Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov from 2013 to 2015. According to Sharapova’s autobiography, Dimitrov first reached out to her through an email after watching her play. She once joked that she initially wondered if he was even old enough to ask her out. Their relationship quickly became popular among tennis fans. However, the couple separated in 2015 during a difficult phase in Sharapova’s career following a tough loss to Serena Williams.
Sharapova finally found long-term happiness with entrepreneur Alexander Gilkes. The two began dating in 2018 and were first spotted together during an outing to an art gallery in Beverly Hills. Gilkes is a well-known businessman and the co-founder of the online auction platform Paddle8. He is also known for moving in elite social circles and even studied alongside
Prince Harry during his college years.
After Sharapova retired from professional tennis in 2020, Gilkes proposed to her later that year. The couple announced their engagement on social media. In July 2022, they welcomed their first child, a son named Theodore. For now, the couple has postponed their wedding plans to focus on family life.