Ashleigh Barty is officially a mother giving birth to a baby boy Hayden as announced on Tuesday morning (4 July) on both her and husband Garry Kissick's Instagram accounts.
Barty was the World No.1 for 121 weeks and a three-time Grand Slam singles champion stepping away from the sport in a shock retirement back in March 2022.
She said she had lost the burning desire at the time but has been part of calls like Serena Williams to return to the sport or even take up another sport.
"I don't have the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level any more. I am spent," she said to Casey Dellacqua at the time.
But those calls have been quelled after she confirmed in January this year that she was pregnant with her first child stepping back onto the court with a baby bump during Australian Open festivities.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.