Tennis legend Maria Sharapova sells custom £18.5m mansion to NBA superstar
Maria Sharapova's custom-designed five-bedroom mansion has been snapped up by none other than Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic for an eye-watering figure
NBA sensation Luka Doncic has bought Maria Sharapova's £18.5million mansion. The Los Angeles Lakers basketball star snapped up the retired five-time Grand Slam champion's five-bedroom property in Manhattan Beach, LA, last month.
The Slovenian, 26, purchased the property through his business manager, Lara Beth Seager, according to records viewed at PropertyShark.com, and confirmed by Southern California News Group.
Doncic signed a three-year contract extension worth £122m in August with the Lakers and bought the mansion shortly afterwards. Florida-based Sharapova, 38, had put the property on the market for £18.5m ($24.995m) in July - 13 years after buying it for £3m ($4.1m), as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
It is understood that Sharapova and her fiance Alexander Gilkes decided to sell with the intention of spending more time in Europe with their family.
The three-storey house, custom-built in 2015 by KAA Design, is on just under a quarter-acre plot. It offers stunning sea views and state-of-the-art facilities.
The property features two built-in bowling lanes and an adjacent media room. It also has an outdoor pool, a seating area for entertaining guests, and a built-in bench, which Sharapova reportedly used regularly for poolside reading.
The property also has towering walls of greenery encircling it to guarantee its residents enjoy complete privacy, while the outdoor seating area features a roof to stop bad weather from spoiling time around the firepit.
The residence is furnished tastefully and practically, featuring plenty of modern storage space to hide items away in every room. The bathrooms are also complete with free-standing baths and with his-and-hers vanity design sinks.
In 2019, the former world No. 1 tennis star told Architectural Digest that she was "obsessed with the process of making [the] home" and was inspired by Japanese architecture and minimalist aesthetics.
“I’d jump off a plane from a tournament and go straight to the worksite or to the architect’s office or to a kitchen manufacturer," she said. "This was my project, and I wasn’t going to delegate any part of it. I’ve travelled all over the world and enjoyed lots of incredible spaces," she added. "But my home is my absolute favourite. I think that’s the way it should be.”
Russian-born Sharapova enjoyed a 19-year career on court, initially exploding onto the scene by claiming a Wimbledon crown in 2004 as a 17-year-old. She defeated future Serena Williams in straight sets, which established her as one of the sport's most thrilling prospects. She realised her promise through French Open, Australian Open and US Open victories before retiring her racket in 2020.