Serena Williams reveals she is 20 weeks pregnant with first child
By Vicki Hodges | The Telegraph |
Serena Williams has revealed she is 20-weeks pregnant with her first child by sharing a close up of her growing bump on Snapchat.
The world No 2 has not played since the Australian Open in January where she beat sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 for her 23rd grand slam title. Last month the American pulled out of Indian Wells and Miami Open citing a knee injury.
Williams announced in December that she was engaged to Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of Reddit, the social messaging site. Already today’s announcement has led to some fans’ fears that she may never return to the sport.
Williams will be 36 in September and has achieved every milestone possible during an illustrious career.
Aside from winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open seven times she has also been world No 1 for 316 weeks in total which ranks her third in the Open era.
Some other supporters, meanwhile, were quick to work out that Williams was pregnant during her most recent and possibly final slam triumph in Melbourne.
Others teased that Williams announced the news on the day of Maria Sharapova’s 30th birthday. The Russian is currently preparing for her return from a drugs ban at Stuttgart next week.
Williams lost the world No 1 ranking to Angelique Kerber earlier this year but is due to return to the top when the latest standings are published next Monday.
Williams’ announcement also comes a week after former world No 1 and recent first-time mum Victoria Azarenka revealed her plans to return to the tour in July.
The 27-year-old stepped away from the game last year after she became pregnant. Her son, Leo, was born in December.
Kim Clijsters famously returned from having her first child to win a second US Open in 2009.
But the Belgian is not the first sportswoman to return to the top of their sport after having a child.
Paula Radcliffe won the New York marathon in 2007 10 months after having a child. Kenyan athlete Catherine Ndereba broke the world records over 5km and 15km in 1998 a year after giving birth. Golfer Catriona Matthew won the British Open in 2009 when her second daughter was just 10 weeks old.
More recently Jessica Ennis-Hill and Jo Pavey have also proved that having a child does not always mean the end of your career.
At 35 years old, however, Williams is very much in the twilight of her career and appears highly unlikely, more to the pity, we will see her grace the court competitively again.
