Serena gives birth to a girl

Tennis superstar Serena Williams gave birth to a girl, 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. 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 3.09 kilograms.