Just as the tennis world gears up for the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova is stealing the spotlight with a scorching new swimsuit photo. The 39-year-old Hall of Famer shared a series of snapshots from her vacation in the Italian Alps on Instagram this Thursday, and fans are loving every moment.
Sharapova, who retired from professional tennis in 2020, hasn't lost her ability to captivate an audience. In the photos, she's seen lounging in a chic swimsuit against a backdrop of stunning mountain scenery. "So beautiful Maria," one fan wrote, while another called the Dolomites "a dream destination." A third simply said, "You look wonderful."
The former world No. 1 won all four Grand Slam tournaments during her career and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame last year. Reflecting on that honor, she said, "There's the feeling that you have to walk through those halls. You realize you're a small part of such a bigger piece, the history of our game and all the athletes that just accomplished what they have."
Sharapova's vacation comes just ahead of Wimbledon, where she famously won the title in 2004 as a 17-year-old. While she won't be competing this year, her presence is still felt—especially with posts like these that remind fans of her enduring appeal. For more on tennis stars making headlines, check out Amanda Anisimova's stunning look ahead of Wimbledon.
This isn't the first time Sharapova has turned heads with swimwear. She was a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, first appearing in the iconic issue in 2006, photographed on the beaches of Turks and Caicos. Though she called it a "very different experience," she loved working with the SI Swimsuit crew.
In a past interview with Glossy, Sharapova shared her philosophy on brand partnerships: "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."
At 39, Sharapova is proving she can still command attention both on and off the court. Fans are already speculating about a potential return to SI Swimsuit, but for now, she's enjoying her time in the Italian Alps. It's a reminder that even in retirement, the tennis icon knows how to keep the spotlight—and the heat—on her.
Other athletes have also been making waves with summer photos. Recently, Genie Bouchard's orange swimsuit photo drove fans wild, and Marta Kostyuk turned up the heat in a black swimsuit workout video. Sharapova's post, however, shows that experience and style never go out of fashion.
