FORMER tennis star Maria Sharapova appears to have flouted coronavirus lockdown guidelines to visit friends in Los Angeles alongside boyfriend Alexander Gilkes.
The Russian, who has been staying at her luxury LA beach house, appeared to be taking a break from the rules placed upon citizens to try and combat the spread of Covid-19.
Sharapova, 32, was snapped on a sun-drenched balcony alongside another couple at the Manhattan Beach pad. The quartet did not appear to be social distancing.
The five-time Grand Slam winner doesn’t have training to worry about, having retired from tennis back in February.
She announced her departure from the sport in typical fashion, writing exclusively for Vogue: “In giving my life to tennis, tennis gave me a life. I’ll miss it everyday.
“I’ll miss the training and my daily routine: Waking up at dawn, lacing my left shoe before my right, and closing the court’s gate before I hit my first ball of the day.
“I’ll miss my team, my coaches. I’ll miss the moments sitting with my father on the practice court bench.
“The handshakes — win or lose — and the athletes, whether they knew it or not, who pushed me to be my best.
“Looking back now, I realise that tennis has been my mountain.
“My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible.”
Sharapova is now thought to be concentrating on other business interests, including her Sugarpova sweets range.
Her final match was in January, being dumped out of the Australian Open by Donna Vekic in the first round.
Over 900,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the US, with 850 fatalities in Los Angeles alone.
