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Maria Sharapova and her fiance Alexander Gilkes celebrated their son Theo's first-ever Christmas on Sunday as the couple introduced the little one to a few holiday traditions. The six-month-old got his first taste of Christmas tree decorations and also met 'Santa.'
Sharapova and Gilkes became parents to Theo back in early July 2022. The Russian tennis great is among numerous others from the tennis world celebrating their first Christmas as parents, including Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and star couple Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils.
The former World No. 1 took to social media to share a couple of adorable moments from Theo's Christmas celebrations.
The 35-year-old also joked about her fiance's 'Santa duties' as she clicked a lovely moment of Theo with his father.
"Santa is terrific as diaper duties. Who knew. Merry Christmas," Maria Sharapova wrote on her Instagram Stories.
The five-time Grand Slam singles champion recently took to the tennis court for the first time since becoming a mother, playing "for fun" and thoroughly enjoying her experience.
"It’s really nice to do this ‘for fun’," Sharapova wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of her on a tennis court.
Sharapova also took fans down memory lane, posting a video of her hitting a few forehands and backhands. The two-time French Open winner also joked that she would be sore the next day as she played after a long time.
“I might be a little sore tomorrow,” she wrote.
"Excited about this stage of motherhood" - Maria Sharapova opens up about life as a mother
Maria Sharapova recently shared her experiences so far with motherhood, saying that it is beautiful and challenging at the same time. She expressed her excitement at being there every step of the way as her son grows up. She also admitted that 2022 has been the fastest year of her life with a lot happening in her personal life.
While motherhood formed a major part of her life this past year and required her to devote most time, Sharapova has also been busy with her business ventures since retiring from tennis.
"I felt like I was ready to have a child of my own and pass along my own experiences," Sharapova said to NewBeauty. "I’m really excited to watch this little boy grow up, although that is still incredibly hard because I’m still mostly trying to figure things out.
"It’s beautiful, but it’s also challenging. This has literally been the fastest year of my life. It’s like we blinked, and it’s over. I’m excited about this stage of motherhood. I feel like I’m just getting through the first few months of a little baby’s life," she added.
Sharapova's most recent appearance on the WTA tour was at the US Open, during which she also engaged in a bit of commentary during the semifinals.
