Delight as Serena Williams 'welcomes baby girl'

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Tennis superstar Serena Williams gave birth to a baby girl on Friday, US media reported, prompting an outpouring of delight from fellow professionals, celebrities and fans of the sporting icon.

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.

There was no immediate confirmation of the birth from Williams' representatives. Elder sister Venus Williams described herself as "super-excited" after being informed of the reports concerning the baby as she walked on to the court for her third-round match at the US Open in New York.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian in May 2017. /Reuters Photo

However she declined to take questions on the subject in her post-match press conference. "I'm definitely available to answer questions about tennis. That's all right now," Venus told reporters.

Earlier, 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.

An article in Vanity Fair in June said Williams, who unveiled her pregnant body in a nude cover photo for the magazine, planned to tie the knot with Ohanian later this year after the birth. The couple announced their engagement in December after meeting in 2015 in Rome.

Source(s): AFP