Former tennis star Maria Sharapova has shared her mobile number on Instagram and encouraged fans to contact her while in isolation.

In a video uploaded to Instagram, she said she had been trying to 'find a way to be in touch' with her supporters at this challenging time.

She says in the video: "Hello everyone, happy Friday whatever that is anymore. I've been trying to find a way to be in touch with all of you because last week I did a really fun Q&A on a video conference with 150 of you.

"And I left that video chat wanting more, I wanted more connection and a big part of that was we're all in this separation, this physical distancing together. 

"I have a number that you will be able to send a message to, and when I say message it will go directly on my phone that I'm currently holding. So text me and wait to get a response."

She also captioned the video: "Not only did I just get a 310 number( hello cool cats?)but I’m sharing it with you—Text me! 310-564-7981. 

"For real. Tell me how you’re doing, ask me questions, or just say hello. Any great recipes welcome too."