Who is Maria Sharapova's fiancé? "What was it about this particular man that attracted her"?

Maria Sharapova and Alexander Gilkes are getting ready to head down the aisle.

The professional tennis alum and businessman were first rumored to be dating in January 2018 and were first spotted at private events together before they went out in public later that year.

Less than a year after their public debut, Gilkes shared with Robb Report that he saw Sharapova as his “guru.”

“[She] is a great role model in my learning focus and discipline, a linearity versus my more radial structures,” he said.

In December 2020, Gilkes proposed to Sharapova and the pair announced their engagement via Instagram. A year later, she announced that they were expecting their first child together. They welcomed their son, Theodore, in July 2022.

“Every single week you learn something new about them, about their personality,” Sharapova told PEOPLE of their bundle of joy. “Although it’s a full-time job, it’s also just so gratifying to see this little human grow and to express himself and to share your moments with him when he’s awake. It’s all very special.”

So who is Maria Sharapova’s fiancé? Here’s everything to know about Alexander Gilkes and his relationship with the former tennis star.

Gilkes discovered his passion for art in 1997 when he attended Charles Saatchi’s “Sensation” exhibition, he told the Observer.

Aside from becoming an auctioneer for fine art, he also served on the board of trustees of the New York Academy of Art since 2016.

“I’m very interested in the emergence of street culture as it is without doubt one of, if not the most, disruptive and transformative forces in today’s contemporary art world,” he told Robb Report of his favorite art style. “And it is the force that has brought in new audiences…

I think this whole street culture movement and its effect in fashion and in various other types of apparel and in art, is a true defining force of today’s trend.”

Gilkes held numerous positions over the years. He was an auctioneer at Phillips under the guidance of Simon de Pury. Then, in 2011, he founded the online auction website, Paddle8.

“We wanted to enhance access to this very elitist and fairly esoteric art world,” Gilkes told GQ of the company’s concept. “I think art was becoming more accessible with the dissemination of technology, but the actual ability to acquire remained difficult—it required a lot of time and footwork on your own end.”

He added, “So the idea is that from the comfort of your desk you can get access to galleries that have already been selected for you and represent the best artists and artworks.”

In 2018, the business was sold to The Native and Gilkes stepped down as CEO. Two years later, he co-founded Squared Circles, a venture studio.