In April, tennis star Maria Sharapova announced she was expecting her first child with her partner, businessman Alexander Gilkes. Today, the five-time Grand Slam champion revealed that her little one was born on July 1st.
It’s a boy! The couple chose to name their first child Theodore. Theodore is a Greek name that means “Gift of God” or “Divine Gift.” On becoming a mom, Maria added in her caption, “The most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for.” Alexander did not share an announcement of his son’s arrival on his Instagram page.
Maria, who retired from playing tennis in 2020, may have given a hint in her updated Instagram bio to Theodore’s nickname. The athlete changed her bio to read “Mama” with a bear emoji. This could be a sign that Theodore goes by the nickname of Teddy, like a teddy bear. It could also just be a way for Maria to signify she is a “mama bear,” a phrase used by many moms.
Maria and Alexander began dating in 2018 and announced their engagement in December 2020. At the time, Maria shared, “I said yes from the first day we met.” The couple has yet to set a date for their wedding and Maria opened up about their hesitation citing the pandemic. “I think with the air of this period it is difficult to make plans. There are too many uncertainties and we have not yet decided on an official date. We haven’t talked about it yet because we want to put our relatives and friends at ease, with the right climate and not by pressing them to participate in something by force of circumstances.”
Congratulations to Maria and Alexander on the arrival of baby Theodore! We wish them all the best on their new journey as parents.
Kate Fann (she/her) is the BabyNames.com celebrity blogger, as well as an established content writer, aspiring author, and social media expert. She has been featured in online publications such as Bolde, ManoByte, Medium, The Social Observer, and more. Kate has ghostwritten numerous romance novels and is currently working on publishing her own works in the Young Adult genre.
Kate lives in East Tennessee with her husband Casey and her two sons, Quinn and Noah. When she's not writing or scrolling Instagram, Kate can be found tasting delicious wines, playing with make-up, baking yummy treats, or hiking the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
