Serena Williams, the world number two tennis player, is pregnant and due in the autumn, her representative has confirmed.
The 23 times Grand Slam winner on Wednesday posted a picture of herself on Snapchat posing in a mirror with the message: “20 weeks” before deleting the post.
The 35-year-old is now set to miss the rest of the season.
This includes three Grand Slams – the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
Williams, who will return to world number one next week, would be eligible to retain her ranking under the WTA special ranking rule if she is ready to play her first tournament within 12 months of giving birth.
US Open Tennis responded to Williams’ message by saying: “Serena Williams will have a new pride and joy to hug and call her own soon! Congratulations on the exciting baby announcement!”
