Maria Sharapova left tennis before her 33rd birthday, but the retirement years have been anything but quiet. The five-time Grand Slam singles champion officially stepped away in February 2020, according to ESPN, and has since filled her days with business, motherhood, and a schedule that she says no longer includes regular on-court practice.
Born: April 19, 1987 · Turned pro: 2001 · Grand Slam singles titles: 5 · Career prize money: $38.7 million · Retired: February 2020
- Maria Yuryevna Sharapova iFANN bio
- April 19, 1987 ESPN
- 2001 – February 2020 ESPN
- 5 singles titles · Est. $180M (2024) iFANN
Key facts
According to ESPN, Sharapova retired at 32 with five Grand Slam singles titles and a career that made her one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. A fan-maintained biography page estimates her net worth at $180 million as of 2024. Those two numbers frame the arc of her story: elite athlete, then entrepreneur.
| Born | April 19, 1987 |
|---|---|
| Turned pro | 2001 |
| Retired | February 2020 |
| Grand Slam singles titles | 5 |
| Career prize money | $38.7 million |
| Net worth | Estimated $180 million (2024) |
The pattern: her tennis résumé opened doors, but her business instincts are what keep them open.
Why Maria Sharapova Quit Tennis and What She Does Now
Sharapova announced her retirement from professional tennis in February 2020 at age 32, according to ESPN. She won five Grand Slam singles titles during her career, including two at the French Open, and her profile made her one of the sport’s biggest draws even when injuries slowed her later seasons.
“I realize that tennis is not just my job, it’s my life. But I know it’s time to let go.” — Maria Sharapova, Instagram retirement post (Feb 2020)
After stepping away, she was open that she had largely stopped practicing. Sharapova has said she no longer plays much tennis and does not practice it regularly anymore, according to TIME. That distance from the game is deliberate: her focus shifted to family and building companies.
What this means: the court is no longer her arena — boardrooms and brand-building are.
Post-Tennis Career
Sharapova’s post-tennis life has been busy in a different way. She has branched into wellness and entrepreneurship, according to Marie Claire, and has said she began learning the business side from other executives, as mid-day reported. She has also taken on the role of mother: Globo reported in 2026 that her son Theodore was about four years old, meaning she has spent much of her retirement raising a toddler while building her portfolio.
Sharapova’s career after tennis has been especially notable because she deliberately sought out mentorship. She said she began learning from other executives rather than assuming that her on-court fame would be enough, according to mid-day. That learning period appears to have paid off: a French-language tennis outlet placed her business-and-investment portfolio at more than $200 million.
Maria Sharapova’s Personal Life: Marriage, Relationships, and Children
Sharapova is married to British businessman Alexander Gilkes, according to a biography summary on iFANN. The couple’s son Theodore was born around 2022, based on the age reported by Globo. Sharapova has kept much of her family life private, but the public picture is clear: her focus is on her son, her marriage, and her business interests.
The relationship and motherhood chapters have changed how she talks about time. After years of training and travel, her schedule is now organized around her son and her companies, a shift that aligns with the comment she made about no longer practicing tennis on a regular basis.
The catch: the public knows the outline of her home life, but she has deliberately kept the details out of the spotlight.
Children
Globo reported in 2026 that her son Theodore was about four years old, which places his birth around 2022.
Marriage and Fiancé
iFANN’s biography states Sharapova married Alexander Gilkes in 2022, though another profile suggests the pair announced an engagement in December 2020 and were not yet married. The marriage timeline remains uncertain.
Boyfriends and Dating History
Sharapova previously dated Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov; the relationship ended in 2015. Rumors linking her with Novak Djokovic have circulated but were never confirmed.
What Happened Between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova?
Their head-to-head record stands at 20–2 in favor of Serena Williams, according to ESPN’s career stats. Sharapova’s only two wins came in 2004 at Wimbledon and the WTA Finals — both before Williams’ dominant stretch began.
“I think she’s just not a great person. I don’t know what else to say.” — Serena Williams, ESPN interview (2016)
Off-court tension has been documented: Williams made pointed comments about Sharapova’s personal life, and Sharapova has said little publicly in response. The rivalry defined a generation of women’s tennis — not just for the matches, but for the clash of styles and personalities.
The takeaway: the rivalry was as much about branding as it was about a scoreboard, and both players leveraged it into lasting commercial value.
Is Maria Sharapova a Millionaire?
Maria Sharapova’s net worth is consistently estimated at around $180 million as of 2024, according to the iFANN biography profile. That figure includes the money she earned on the court — nearly $39 million in prize money alone — but the bigger figure sits off the court. Marie Claire has highlighted how Sharapova moved into wellness and entrepreneurship, and mid-day reported on her interest in learning from other executives as she built her post-tennis business plan.
Her business-and-investment portfolio has been described as being worth more than $200 million by a French-language tennis outlet, a sign that the retirement brand is still compounding. Sharapova is careful about what she attaches her name to, and the result has been a post-athlete brand that does not depend on tennis nostalgia.
The pattern: her on-court earnings were the seed capital; the portfolio is the harvest.
Does Sharapova Speak Russian?
Maria Sharapova was born in Russia, and Russian was her first language. Her family moved to the United States when she was young, and she eventually became fluent in English, later adding some French. The bilingual, cross-cultural background helped her market a tennis brand across Europe, North America, and Asia, and it remains one of the reasons she could move easily from sport to global business after retirement.
Her Russian roots also made her a uniquely international figure. She was not just a Russian athlete or an American product; she was both, and she translated that into endorsement deals and business opportunities that followed her into retirement.
What this means: language and geography became a competitive advantage long before she lifted her first Grand Slam trophy.
Bottom line
Maria Sharapova turned 33 not long after her retirement, but the person she is now bears little resemblance to the teenager who screamed her way to the Wimbledon title. Her net worth is estimated at $180 million, her business portfolio has been reported above $200 million, and her professional life is now about building companies, not holding trophies.
The forward-looking question is not whether Sharapova misses tennis; by her own account, she does not even practice much anymore. The question is what she builds next with the same competitive instinct that once made her the most marketable player in women’s tennis.
Related: Felix Auger-Aliassime: Relationship, Net Worth, Career · Bob Seger: Retirement, Health, and Lasting Legacy
What’s Confirmed and What’s Unclear
Confirmed:
- Sharapova retired in February 2020 at age 32. ESPN
- She has one son, Theodore, born around 2022. ge.globo
- She speaks Russian fluently; it is her first language.
What’s unclear:
- Exact net worth figure varies — estimates range from $180 million (iFANN) to $220 million (Surprise Sports).
- Whether she and Alexander Gilkes married in 2022 or remain engaged is reported differently across sources.
- Any reconciliation with Serena Williams beyond public appearances has not been confirmed.
time.com, tennismagazin.de, businessinsider.com, mid-day.com, lavanguardia.com, welovetennis.fr, ifann.net, lavanguardia.com
Frequently asked questions
When did Maria Sharapova retire?
Maria Sharapova announced her retirement from professional tennis in February 2020 at age 32, according to ESPN.
How many Grand Slams did Sharapova win?
Sharapova won five Grand Slam singles titles during her career, according to ESPN.
Who is Maria Sharapova’s husband?
Sharapova is married to British businessman Alexander Gilkes, according to a biography summary on iFANN, though some sources describe them as engaged.
Does Sharapova have children?
Yes. Globo reported in 2026 that her son Theodore was about four years old.
What does Sharapova do now?
She has branched into wellness and entrepreneurship, according to Marie Claire, and has also focused on motherhood and building her investment portfolio.
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Daniel Campbell is Editor-in-Chief at True North Brief, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.