Former Wimbledon champion looks unrecognisable just four years after retiring from tennis… as she stuns the French capital with a stylish and elegant outfit at Paris Fashion Week

Tennis legend Maria Sharapova looked unrecognizable as she headed to Paris Fashion Week in a stylish all-black outfit on Sunday.

The former Wimbledon champion rose to fame when she defeated top champion and defending champion Serena Williams on Center Court in 2004 at the age of 17 to claim her first Grand Slam.

Sharapova triumphed at four more Grand Slam events prior to her retirement in 2020 and has since largely focused on business and fashion interests.

While attending Paris Fashion Week for a Valentino event, the 36-year-old stunned the French capital with her elegant look, ditching the signature blonde locks she famously wore as a player.

During her legendary time on the court, Sharapova became the first Russian player to complete a Grand Slam career after victories in Melbourne, New York, Paris and London, and the third-youngest woman to triumph at Wimbledon.

Maria Sharapova wore a stylish and elegant outfit during Paris Fashion Week on Sunday (left)

The 36-year-old tennis icon stunned the French capital with her elegant all-black look

Sharapova ditched the trademark blonde hair she had as a player and looked unrecognizable

Her career was marred by a failed drugs test in 2016, which saw Sharapova banned for two years after she was found to have taken meldonium, a substance banned early that year ahead of the Australian Open.

Her suspension was later reduced to 15 months after it emerged she had taken the drug on the advice of her doctor, and Sharapova returned to competition in April 2017 before winning the Tianjin Open seven months later.

After struggling with chronic shoulder problems for several years, Sharapova finally announced her retirement in 2020, sharing an emotional farewell message with her followers.

“How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known?” Sharapova wrote.

“How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game you love – a game that brought you untold tears and unspeakable joy – a sport in which you found a family, along with fans who have been collecting behind you for more than 28 years?

The ex-Wimbledon winner attended the Valentino Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show

After returning to the circuit after a drug suspension in 2016, Sharapova won the 2017 Tianjin Open. Since her retirement, she has focused on both fashion and business interests

‘I’m new here, so please forgive me. Tennis – I’m saying goodbye.’

Since retiring four years ago, Sharapova has given birth to a son, Theodore, and is now devoting herself to her investment portfolio, which includes stakes in sports brands such as UFC and wellness tech company Therabody.