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 take a break from social distancing rules aimed at trying to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Sharapova, 32, was snapped on Friday afternoon relaxing on a sun-drenched balcony alongside another couple at the Manhattan Beach pad. The quartet did not appear to be more than the recommended two-metres apart.
The US has been devastated by the pandemic, with over 900,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 850 fatalities in Los Angeles alone.
The 2004 Wimbledon champ, who was pictured wearing sunglasses and a white t-shirt, is in lockdown with British businessman Gilkes.
Sharapova and the millionaire, 41, have been dating since 2018.
And this doesn’t appear to be the first time that she has taken the rules lightly, writing on Instagram five days ago that she and Gilkes made their “way to a friends beach house”.
Her social media use suggests that she is aware of the rules.
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.
