Swimsuit

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

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

Cara O’Bleness

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Turks and Caicos.

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.

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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.