5 tennis players who gave birth in 2023 ft. Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka
This year has seen several tennis stars produce some sensational performances on court and win Grand Slams or WTA 1000 tournaments. There have also been a number of current and former players who have enjoyed many memorable moments off the court.
Quite a few tennis stars became mothers this year. A lot of them were players who won multiple Grand Slam singles titles and were at the top of the WTA rankings for a considerable amount of time. The list also has a few current players who took a long hiatus from the sport due to their pregnancy but are on course for a return during the 2024 season.
On that note, let's take a look at five tennis players who gave birth in 2023.
#1. Serena Williams
Serena Williams gave birth to her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August, three months after announcing that she and her husband Alexis Ohanian were expecting their second child.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion's first daughter, Olympia, was born on in September, 2017, two months before her marriage to Ohanian.
Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis in 2022, with the US Open being her last tournament. The American reached the third round with wins over Danka Kovinic and Anett Kontaveit before falling to Ajla Tomljanovic.
#2. Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka had announced in January 2023 that she would be taking a break from tennis as she was pregnant with her first child. The announcement came shortly after the Japanese withdrew from the Australian Open.
Osaka, who is currently dating rapper Cordae, gave birth to her daughter Shai on July 7.
The former World No. 1 was last seen on a tennis court during last season's Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. She reached the second round after her first-round opponent Daria Saville was forced to retire early during the match due to an injury.
Osaka has often claimed that she would want to return to tennis in 2024 and it will be interesting to see whether she competes in the Australian Open or not.
#3. Angelique Kerber
Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber announced her pregnancy while withdrawing from last year's US Open. The German gave birth to her daughter Liana this February.
Kerber's last tournament was Wimbledon 2022, where she reached the third round before losing to Elise Mertens.
The German stated earlier this year that she would return when the 2024 season starts, with the goal of playing the Australian Open.
“I will return when the new season starts with the goal of playing Australian Open 2024. This includes the preparatory events in January, maybe United Cup for Germany. Returning to the Slam in Melbourne would be a dream," Kerber said.
#4. Ashleigh Barty
Ashleigh Barty retred from tennis last year, just a couple of months after winning the Australian Open. The Aussie married her fiance Garry Kissick in July 2022 and announced her pregnancy this January. Barty gave birth to the couple's son Hayden on July 4, 2023.
The 27-year-old had an impressive tennis career during which, she won a total of 15 singles titles including three Grand Slams, the 2019 French Open, Wimbledon 2022, and the 2022 Australian Open. She also won 12 doubles titles, including the women's doubles event at the 2018 US Open with CoCo Vandeweghe as her partner.
#5. Carla Suarez Navarro
Former World No. 6 Carla Suarez Navarro also gave birth this year. The Spaniard, who is currently dating soccer player Olga Garcia, gave birth to twin boys Noah and Ona on June 2, 2023.
Suarez Navarro won two singles titles in her career, including one WTA 1000 event at the 2016 Qatar Open. She reached eighth Grand Slam quarterfinals but failed to go beyond that stage.
The Spaniard also won three doubles titles, reaching the final of the WTA Finals in 2015 with compatriot Garbine Muguruza as her partner.