Video: Maria Sharapova responds hilariously after fan proposes to her during match

Playing in an exhibition match in Istanbul, Turkey earlier this week, tennis star Maria Sharapova was on the end of quite an unexpected response from one of the members of the audience.

During the middle of a match against Turkish player Cagla Buyukakcay, Sharapova received a marriage proposal from a fan. She was getting ready to serve when a spectator called out from the stands, "Maria, will you marry me?", sending the stadium into peals of laughter.

However, the Russian responded in fine fashion as she paused from her service routine, pretended to think and then played along, saying "maybe" in response to the proposal, which once again sent the fans into raptures.

The Russian superstar defeated her 161st ranked opponent with ease in the match though, with the first set going 7-6 in favour of Sharapova after a tie-break. The second set was a completely one-sided affair as the five-time Grand Slam champion won 6-0.

Sharapova recently returned to action on the circuit after she was charged guilty of using the banned drug meldonium and was given a 15-month suspension for the same. She featured in the US Open earlier this year, where she defeated Romanian star Simona Halep in the first round.

She also claimed a title on her return after winning the Tianjin Open, where she defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the final.

Recently, the Russian star was also named in FIR in Gurgaon, India, which was filed against a fraudulent luxury housing project and was publicised using Sharapova's name.