Maria Sharapova's fiance reacts to sneaker collaboration between John McEnroe and Travis Scott

Maria Sharapova's fiance Alexander Gilkes recently expressed his excitement at the 'Mac vs Jack' sneaker collaboration between seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe and renowned rapper Travis Scott.

The link-up between the American icons was first teased in 2021, when Scott showed off a pair of the vintage 1984 Nike Mac Attack shoes on his Instagram handle. The retro sneakers were custom-made several years ago for McEnroe - the top player on the ATP Tour in the early 1980s.

Travis Scott again donned the shoes during one of his shows in May this year, but what followed was rather intriguing. A video call between the two took place this month at the behest of Nike executives, and it ended with John McEnroe appearing unconvinced at the proposed 'Cactus Jack' re-branding of his retro shoes.

Scott later hit back at the former World No. 1, spray painting over a plaque that eulogized the latter's likeness. That bit was, however, likely a planned move, as the duo has now come out with a new line of vintage sneakers.

The Instagram handle of Nike teased its upcoming campaign on Thursday (December 14), with the text "Mac vs Jack" emblazoned over Travis Scott and John McEnroe's frames.

Maria Sharapova's fiance Alexander Gilkes, founder of online auction house Paddle8, expressed excitement at the prospect of the new line of Nike Mac Attack hitting the stores.

"[Heart emoji]," he wrote in the replies to Nike's social media post.

Sharapova, meanwhile, will be teaming up with McEnroe at the Pickleball Slam 2 to take on the duo of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. The exhibition match will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood in February next year, with a prize money of $1 million up for grabs.

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All you need to know about Maria Sharapova's fiance Alexander Gilkes

Maria Sharapova has been with entrepreneur Alexander Gilkes since 2018. The couple got engaged two years later, welcomed their first child, Theodore, in July 2022.

Gilkes was married to famous designer Misha Nonoo between 2012 and 2017, and he also has a son with her. The Brit, a renowned art connoisseur, started out small in the late 2000s, serving as an auctioneer at Phillips de Pury & Company in New York. In 2011, he founded his own auction house Paddle8, where he showcased fine art, photography, street art and collectibles.

Gilkes stepped down from the company in 2018, before co-founding 'Squared Circles' — a venture studio based in Los Angeles, California.