I mean she is a great tennis player after all .........

8 Incredible Photos of Olympic Athlete Maria Sharapova in Turks and Caicos

Cara O’Bleness

Sat, April 8, 2023 at 10:46 AM EDT

The retired tennis player was featured in the 2006 SI Swimsuit Issue.

Maria Sharapova was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Turks and Caicos.<p>Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated</p> — Maria Sharapova was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Turks and Caicos.
Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Maria Sharapova was featured in the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2006 after being photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Turks and Caicos.

The former world No. 1 tennis player got her start on the court at a young age, and went on to become an Olympic medalist. Sharapova took home a silver medal at the 2012 games in London. Before her retirement in January 2020, the Russian athlete won 36 career titles, including the U.S. Open in 2006 and the French Open in ’12 and ’14.

Today, she and fiancé Alexander Gilkes are proud parents to a son, Theodore, whom they welcomed last year. The 35-year-old is also an investor in brands like Therabody and Supergoop!, and last month, she provided some great insight to Glossy about how she chooses which brands to align herself with.

“If it’s fashion you’re interested in, if it’s technology or if it’s a particular value or people that you just find are interesting, that’s what you go for. There’s a lot to consider, and I’d say relationships that maybe start as smaller deals, but have a very strong foundation that will put in marketing dollars to elevate you as a human, might be worth more than taking a big paycheck from a company that doesn’t have a lot of marketing spend,” she told the outlet. “ … Be smart with people you align with, and choose partners that will further help elevate who you are.”

Below are eight of our favorite images from Sharapova’s SI Swimsuit photo shoot.