Maria Sharapova Is Engaged to Prince William’s Friend Alexander Gilkes

"In giving my life to tennis, tennis gave me a life," Sharapova wrote.

"I’ll miss it every day," she continued. "I’ll miss the training and my daily routine: Waking up at dawn, lacing my left shoe before my right, and closing the court’s gate before I hit my first ball of the day. I’ll miss my team, my coaches. I’ll miss the moments sitting with my father on the practice court bench."

Sharapova’s final match of her career came at the 2020 Australian Open, where she was defeated in the first round by Donna Vekić.