Maria Sharapova spies on flight passenger reading article about her

A passenger sharing a flight with five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova was oblivious to her presence while he read a newspaper article about the tennis star.

The Russian sportswoman posted a photo to Twitter of the male, who was sitting in the row in front of her, reading an article about Sharapova.

The 27-year-old, who reportedly earns £10m a year in endorsement deals, appears to have been flying in economy class when the snap was taken.

The photo, which has been retweeted more than 25,000 times, carried the message: "Hey buddy, I'm right behind you... :)."

Hey buddy, I'm right behind you... :) pic.twitter.com/deVaMfetzr

— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) September 25, 2014