Serena Williams intends to return to tennis in 2018 after her pregnancy was confirmed late on Wednesday night.
The 35-year-old is expecting her first child with fiance Alexis Ohanian in the autumn, news which was earlier teased on the social media app Snapchat when she posted a hastily deleted picture of herself in a yellow swimsuit, showing off a bump with the caption "20 weeks".
On the basis of that timescale it means that Williams won the Australian Open in January - her 23rd grand slam singles title - in the first few weeks of her pregnancy.
Serena Williams intends to return to tennis in 2018 following the birth of her first child
Williams, who announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Ohanian in December, has not played on tour since winning in Melbourne as she pulled out of high-profile tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, blaming a knee injury.
Her representatives have confirmed to Press Association Sport that she will not feature in any more tournaments this year, but is planning a return in 2018.
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