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Serena Williams gives birth to baby girl

Barney Henderson
Williams won the Australian Open while three weeks pregnant  - AP
Williams won the Australian Open while three weeks pregnant - AP

Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl, her sister Venus confirmed last night.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion's first child was born weighing 6 pounds and 13-ounces, reports said.

Ms Williams, 35, and her fiance, Alexis Ohanian, the 34-year-old co-founder of Reddit, welcomed their daughter at the St Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"Obviously I'm super excited. Words can't describe," Venus Williams said as she made her way onto court at New York's Arthur Ashe stadium for her third round US Open match.

Serena Williams - Credit: EPA 
Serena Williams has had her first child Credit: EPA

Beyonce, the pop star and close friend of Ms Williams, posted a picture on Instagram and wrote: "Congratulations, Serena!"

Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis star, also tweeted: "Congrats Serena!!! So much joy for you!!!"

Chris Evert, the former tennis star, said during the commentary of the game, which Venus Williams went on to win in straight sets: “I’m so thrilled for her, what a role model she’s going to be for that daughter.

"I told Serena this, it’s a love you’ve never felt before and I know she’s probably experiencing that right now.”

Ms Williams had checked into the hospital on Wednesday, with reports claiming that an entire floor of the building had been cordoned off to ensure her privacy was protected.

She announced the pregnancy on social media in April. Ms Williams had first learnt she was pregnant just days before the Australian Open - a tournament she would go on to win, defeating her sister in the final.

“How am I going to play the Australian Open?“ she recalled thinking at the time. “I had planned on winning Wimbledon this year.”

Serena Williams  - Credit: Reuters 
Serena Williams is already targeting a return to the court Credit: Reuters

In an interview with The Telegraph earlier this month, Ms Williams said she was looking forward to becoming a mother, but was already plotting her return to tennis.

“I am looking forward to becoming a mother and coming back to the courts already,” she told The Telegraph. “I’m always thinking about what’s next: the next victory, the next trophy.”

Ms Williams is expected to return to training in November.

“The goal is to be ready for the Australian Open and then we’ll see,” her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said recently. “If she’s ready, she’ll compete. If not, we’ll delay the comeback. I don’t think she should compete if she’s not really ready.”

Bookmakers were already speculating that the baby girl could become a tennis star in her own right in the future. William Hill offered odds of 250/1 that she will win Wimbledon one day.