Former Wimbledon finalist announces her pregnancy

Sabine Lisicki joins Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic on maternity leave in 2024
Robert Prange/GettyImages
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34-year-old Sabine Lisicki, the 2013 Wimbledon finalist and winner of four WTA singles titles announced on March 8 that she is pregnant. In an Instagram post, she wrote "Life is full of unexpected surprises." Lisicki said that she and her fiance are excited to expand their family.

Though she did not indicate how far along she is in her pregnancy, Lisicki promised her fans "one more comeback" after the birth of her baby.

Victoria Azarenka, Taylor Townsend, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber, and Naomi Osaka are players who rejoined the WTA Tour after having children. It is becoming more commonplace for women to take maternity leave and rejoin the tour afterward. In previous generations, shorter playing careers meant women retired before starting families. Kim Clijsters remains the only player in the modern era to win Grand Slam titles after giving birth.

Lisicki joins Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic on maternity leave

2023 Miami Open champion Petra Kvitova who turned 34 on March 8, will not defend her title this year because she is on maternity leave. Kvitova, who announced her pregnancy in January, recently was spotted sporting a small baby bump.

Belinda Bencic, who turns 27 on March 10, announced her pregnancy in November 2023. Her due date is unknown. Neither Kvitova nor Bencic, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, announced plans for comebacks when they shared their pregnancy news.

The mothers on the WTA Tour are a good example for Lisicki, Kvitova, and Bencic. At Indian Wells, Taylor Townsend and Naomi Osaka told the Tennis Channel that their kids are traveling with them for the Sunshine Swing. Townsend and Osaka love turning off their tennis brains at the end of the day and devoting their time to their kids; it helps them unwind and escape the pressure.

Angelique Kerber, 36, whose daughter is also traveling with her, scored the biggest win of her comeback at Indian Wells on the same day her compatriot Lisicki announced her pregnancy. Kerber defeated Jelena Ostapenko in three sets after being down a set and a break.

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