Maria Sharapova catches Rihanna in playful mood with partner A$AP Rocky as they cross paths at UK Fashion Awards in London

Maria Sharapova, tennis icon and well-known fashionista, bumped into some well-known faces at the 2024 UK Fashion Awards held on Monday (December 2), including pop sensation Rihanna and her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky.

Sharapova, 37, who presented Moncler CEO Remo Ruffini with the Trailblazer Award, shared some clips from the ceremony on her Instagram stories. One of her posts showed Rihanna, who appeared to be seated next to her, in a lighthearted mood.

Sharapova caught popstar Rihanna in a playful mood at the award ceremony

Rihanna's fashion ensemble at this year's Fashion Awards has garnered high praise. The "Umbrella" singer wore a turquoise wrap coat and faux fur hat from Christian Lacroix’s fall 2002 couture collection; a black corset and black opera gloves completed the look.

Sharapova herself wore a stylish off-white Moncler two-piece, which she shared in a series of pictures on her social media. Notably, seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams also attended the show, in an all-black ensemble.

Jonathan Anderson, from Magherafelt in County Londonderry, won Designer of the Year at the 2024 Fashion Awards, for the second straight year. Anderson, known for his gender-fluid designs, is the creative director at the Spanish design house Loewe, and the founder of his own label "JW Anderson."

Russia-born Sharapova retired from tennis in February 2020 after notching up five Grand Slam titles. The first of those, at Wimbledon in 2007, came with a shocking upset over Serena Williams in the final, catapulting Sharapova to international stardom. Apart from being one of the most recognizable names in tennis, Sharapova has also carved out an identity as a savvy businesswoman.

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Maria Sharapova talks about her preparations for her big day at the Fashion Awards

Maria Sharapova turned heads with an off-white Moncler two-piece attire at the recently-held British Fashion Awards - Source: Getty

Maria Sharapova detailed the preparations ahead of her arrival at the British Fashion Awards. Taking to Instagram, the former World No.1 indicated she had taken inspiration from the 1990s for her look. She wrote in the caption,

"Those 90's campaign references? All for this look."

In one of her stories, she hailed Adir Abergel, her hairstyling, for spending his birthday at work. A picture showed Abergel sitting beside a table where a makeshift birthday cake topped with a candle was placed. Sharapova captioned the post.

"He could have spent his birthday on a remote island drinking a pina colada, but instead this special human @hairbyadir spent it in working. A true friend"

The event came days after Sharapova went on a family trek along with fiance Alexander Gilkes and son Theodore to celebrate Thanksgiving. The couple got engaged in 2020, the same year Sharapova bid adieu to the sport.