“Our little family”: Maria Sharapova announces the arrival of baby boy Theodore 

Maria Sharapova served up some big news on social media, announcing on Friday that she had given birth to her first son, Theodore.

The Russian took to Instagram to reveal the arrival of her son with fiancé Alexander Gilkes, sharing a sweet photo of the family of three.

“The most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for,” Sharapova wrote in the caption, which also included a nod to baby Theodore’s birthday—July 1, 2022—written in Roman numerals.

Eagle-eyed Sharapova fans had already suspected the news for a while—with congratulations and well-wishes already pouring into the comments for days, after the former world No. 1 deleted her Instagram bio and replaced it with the word “mama” and a “bear” emoji.

Sharapova retired in February 2020, with five major titles to her name—completing the career Grand Slam by winning at least one singles title at each—and 21 weeks atop the WTA rankings.

After her retirement, Sharapova announced her engagement to British businessman Gilkes later that year in December. The couple shared their pregnancy news on Sharapova’s birthday in April, also in an Instagram post.

"Precious beginnings!!!” she wrote. “Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty."