María Sharapova announced her marriage to Alexander Gilkes, a millionaire businessman: who is he and what does he do

“I said yes from the first day we met. This was our little secret, wasn’t it @gilkesa? ” With those words, Maria Sharapova He announced on his Instagram account that he will marry his partner, the millionaire businessman, in the coming months Alexander Gilkes.

The words of love were accompanied by a black and white photo of the couple, who met three years ago. For a long time they kept their relationship a secret and many speculate that both would be together long before.

Gilkes, 41, is a millionaire businessman, co-founder and president of the online auction house Paddle8. He is not a stranger to English entertainment since he was married to the best friend of Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry. In addition, he is one of the most relevant young entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom.

The fiance, also used social networks to spread the news and also did it in a very romantic way: “Thank you for making me a very, very happy boy. I hope to live my whole life loving you and learning from you “, he replied.

Among other accolades, Gilkes is considered one of the 100 most powerful men in the art world, in addition to having appeared among the most elegant in magazines Vanity Fair and GQ, in which he collaborated as editor.

In 2018 it was the first time that both decided to whitewash the relationship. It was in a photo she shared, from a romantic trip to the Cotswolds, where he has a country house.

Sharapova and Gilkes spend a lot of time together and often even coordinate their trips to fulfill their business commitments. New York, Los Angeles and London are usually his favorite places.

Maria Sharapova, former number 1 in the ranking of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), decided to “hang up the racket” in February, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and since then she has been based in California, United States.

The Russian is considered one of the best players of her time, having achieved el Silver Slam (the four Grand Slam tournaments and a silver medal in the Olympic Games) and being one of the youngest to have won the Wimbledon championship.

When the Siberian star announced that he was retiring from tennis, Alexander quickly declared his support, also on Instagram. “To the friendliest and most professional person I know. Here is for you, Maria, everything that awaits you in your next chapter. Continue to inspire us all with your deep humility, strength, and focus. As a remarkable first chapter closes with so many extraordinary feats, we look forward to all that you will accomplish with equal courage and grace in the years to come. Proudly and lovingly, ”he wrote.