Irina Shayk sends her love to Maria Sharapova as Russian describes her weekend visit to Abu Dhabi

Modified Nov 29, 2023 00:55 GMT

Maria Sharapova recently shared a few pictures from her trip to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, November 28. Sharapova attended the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, admired the artworks of Cy Twombly, posed with soccer star Kevin De Bruyne, and caught up with fellow player Ons Jabeur during her visit.

Sharapova, who retired from professional tennis in 2020, has been enjoying her life off the court indulging in various activities and travels. The 36-year-old has a huge fan following online, where she often posts updates about her personal and professional endeavors.

One of the highlights of her trip was attending the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the 2023 season, which was won by Max Verstappen. Sharapova was seen mingling with other VIP guests, such as World No. 6 WTA player Jabeur, and Manchester City’s midfielder De Bruyne, who posed for a picture with her.

Another highlight of her recent trip was visiting the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the largest art museum in the Arabian Peninsula, which houses a collection of artworks from different cultures and periods. Sharapova can be seen admiring the Untitled I-IX series of paintings by Cy Twombly, an American artist known for his abstract expressionism and graffiti-like style.

The Russian also hinted that she was planning to bring her one-year-old son, Theodore, to the museum’s children’s section.

"Where a few Cy Twomblys are just down the road to the F1 race 😉 I’m already planning T’s visit to the children’s museum," Sharapova wrote.

Sharapova’s Abu Dhabi adventure received a lot of positive reactions from her fans and friends, who dropped complimentary comments on her post. One of the most notable comments came from Irina Shayk, the Russian supermodel and former girlfriend of Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Shayk showed her support and affection for the tennis star by posting a heart emoji.

"💗"

"I appreciate where the sport has taken me, but I definitely love seeing it from the outside now" - Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova recently revealed how she is enjoying her life after hanging up her racquet and watching the game as a fan.

Sharapova drew curtains on her career in February 2020, right after participating in the Australian Open. She had a remarkable career, claiming five women’s singles Grand Slam trophies to her name.

Two years after bidding farewell to her professional tennis career, the Russian athlete embraced motherhood as she welcomed her son Theodore with fiancé Alexander Gilkes. She expressed her satisfaction with her present state and said that she valued the skills she acquired from tennis, but now, enjoys her time as a fan.

"I'm very happy with where I am at this stage of life. I appreciate what the sport has taught me and where it's taken me, but I definitely love seeing it from the outside now," Sharapova said in an interview with People Magazine in August.

Maria Sharapova lost the first round to Donna Vekic in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in her final match of her career at the 2020 Australian Open.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer