In pictures: Maria Sharapova and fiance Alexander Gilkes vacation in the Luberon in France

Maria Sharapova and her fiance Alexander Gilkes are currently on vacation in France's Luberon.

Sharapova and Gilkes first made their relationship public way back in 2018. In April 2022, they announced via social media that they were expecting their first child together.

The five-time Grand Slam champion revealed last year that she had given birth to a baby boy, Theodore. Since then, the former tennis star has been frequently posting about her whereabouts on social media.

This time, however, it was Gilkes who took to Instagram to show off their vacation in the Luberon in France. He described how he used to visit the location when he was younger and how it has remained unchanged even after 20 years.

"I first visited the Luberon when living in Paris from 2003 - 2008. On the occasional Friday afternoon I would take a the train to Avignon and then a short drive to a B&B. It was a place of so many happy memories from meals in chef Edouard Loubet’s herb garden to encounters with the brilliant and Quixotic former Mayor of Menerbes, Yves Rousset Rouard, who had decided to build interest in his local vineyard by amassing the largest corkscrew collection in the world and opening a museum in its honor," he wrote.

"20 years later not much had changed beyond a changeover in restaurant owners and the influx of more tourists along with better hotels...," he added.

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Looking back at Maria Sharapova's career

Maria Sharapova pictured at the 2020 Brisbane International - Day 2.

Maria Sharapova was a force to be reckoned with for more than a decade in women's tennis. She began playing competitive tennis at the age of 14, and was ranked the world's No. 1 singles player five different times. She is also the only Russian player to have achieved a Career Grand Slam.

Sharapova won her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the Wimbledon Championships in 2004. She beat defending champion Serena Williams in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) to break into the top 10 for the first time.

With her victory at the 2012 French Open, Maria Sharapova became the 10th woman to complete a Career Grand Slam. She was also the first Russian woman to reach the top spot in the world rankings on August 22, 2005.

The 36-year-old is also an Olympic medallist, having won silver in the women's singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

36 singles titles, including five Grand Slam titles (two at Roland Garros and one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open), are the most significant achievements of Maria Sharapova's illustrious career. The Russian announced her retirement from the sport in 2020, as she was beset by a series of injuries.