Serena confirms pregnancy, to be out of action until 2018
Serena Williams is expecting a baby and will not play again this year but aims to return to the women’s tour in 2018.
The 35-year-old posted a picture of herself captioned “20 weeks” and her publicist Kelly Bush Novak made an official announcement. “I’m happy to confirm Serena is expecting a baby this fall,” the publicist said in a statement.
Williams’ social media post showed the 35-year-old in a yellow swimsuit that revealed the baby bump. But the post was quickly taken down, lending an air of mystery to its meaning.
“The GOAT herself @serenawilliams took to Snapchat to announce she’s 20 weeks pregnant! Congratulations Serena!” the US Tennis Association tweeted.
The Women’s Tennis Association deleted one congratulatory tweet because they did not have confirmation of but later said: “It’s official! @SerenaWilliams and @AlexisOhanian are expecting a baby this fall.”
In December, Williams announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, first sharing that news on the Reddit social media site.
If Williams is 20 weeks into her pregnancy, that means she was already expecting when she won her record-setting 23rd Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
Williams hasn’t played since her Australian Open triumph, which saw her surpass Steffi Graf for the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era.
Only Australian Margaret Court has won more, capturing 24.
Williams cited a knee injury in pulling out of tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in March. Her inactivity saw her drop to No 2 in the world rankings.
But she is set to regain the top spot from Germany’s Angelique Kerber on Monday.
Serena could take a pass on Wimbledon if physical changes from her pregnancy affect her preparation and performance, researchers who study pregnancy in high-performing athletes said.