- Plans to play in 3 months’ time
Williams, who will turn 36 later this month, was admitted to the St Mary´s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida on Wednesday before going into labor overnight.
A producer with the Florida-based WPBF television station cited hospital sources as saying Williams´ daughter weighed in at six pounds and 13 ounces (3.09 kilograms). Celebrity magazine US Weekly cited an unnamed source close to the tennis star confirming the birth.
Serena, who is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, was swiftly greeted with an avalanche of congratulations from well-wishers. “Congrats Serena!!! So much joy for you!!!” Spanish star Rafael Nadal wrote on Twitter. Pop diva Beyonce took to Instagram to send her message, posting a portrait of a pregnant Williams in a flowing white gown with the message: “Congratulations Serena!” US tennis legend Chris Evert said: “I´m so thrilled for her. And what a role model she´s going to be for her daughter.”
Fans meanwhile said the tennis star´s daughter would be a champion too. “Hello to the future queen of tennis,” one post on Twitter read. “A future champion is born,” added another.
Serena has vowed to return to competitive tennis in January to defend her Australian Open title, which she won while newly pregnant. She last month told Vogue in a wide-ranging interview that she had set herself a goal of returning to play in Melbourne at next year´s Open.
