There's a whole new meaning of love on the court for tennis star Maria Sharapova, who is engaged to art dealer Alexander Gilkes.
Maria announced the news on her Instagram Dec. 17, with a black and white selfie of her and Alexander.
"I said yes from the first day we met," Maria wrote in the caption. "This was our little secret, wasn't it."
Alexander also shared the news on Instagram, writing, "Thank you for making me a very very happy boy. I look forward to a lifetime of loving you, and learning from you."
Robyn Gilkes, Alexander's mother, was thrilled by the big news, commenting on Maria's Instagram post, "Sooo exciting and lots of welcomes to our very strange family!!! Can't wait to be able to properly celebrate this brilliant news with instead of from so far away."
Maria, who announced her retirement from tennis earlier this year, began dating Alexander—a British businessman who is the co-founder of Squared Circles—in 2018, following his divorce from fashion designer Misha Nonoo.
Alexander occasionally updates fans about his life with his now fiancée on Instagram. In February, the 41-year-old praised Maria for her essay in Vanity Fair, in which she shared her decision to leave professional tennis behind.
"To the kindest and most professional person I know, here is to you Maria, and all that awaits you in your next chapter! May you continue to inspire us all with your deep humility, self-deprecation, strength and focus," Alexander wrote. "As a remarkable first chapter closes with so many extraordinary feats, we look forward to all that you will accomplish with equal grit and grace in the years to come."
Now, Maria and Alexander will start their next chapter together as a married couple.