"Most beautiful & overwhelming feeling" - Angelique Kerber welcomes firstborn daughter Liana

Angelique Kerber has welcomed her first child into the world, a baby girl. Kerber called the experience the most "beautiful and overwhelming" feeling she could have ever imagined.

The German tennis great has been on maternity leave since August last year, announcing her pregnancy shortly before the 2022 US Open. A couple of weeks ago, Kerber said that she was patiently waiting for the birth of her child.

The three-time Grand Slam champion took to social media on Tuesday to announce the birth of firstborn daughter, Liana, sharing a lovely picture of herself and her partner with their daughter. The baby was born on Saturday, February 25th.

"Welcome to our family, Liana *25.02.2023. Having you with us is the most beautiful & overwhelming feeling we could have ever imagined," Angelique Kerber wrote on Instagram.

Back in August, Kerber announced her pregnancy in a cheeky social media post, saying that she was excited for the US Open but thought it wouldn't be fair to play 'two against one.'

"I really wanted to play the @usopen but eventually I decided that two against one just isn't fair competition," she tweeted.

Kerber, who won a WTA title back in May on the clay courts of Strasbourg, last competed at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, where she lost in the third round.

"I don’t know what time or which tournament because I really want to take the time" - Angelique Kerber on her comeback plans

Angelique Kerber in action at The Championships - Wimbledon 2022.

Late last year Angelique Kerber opened up about her comeback plans, admitting that she was unsure about the time frame for her return. The 35-year-old also said she aims to start playing again only after feeling entirely comfortable with her fitness and level of tennis.

Kerber is currently down to No. 111 in the WTA rankings, after playing her last tournament at Wimbledon as the World No. 19.

“I don’t know what time or which tournament because I really want to take the time,” Angelique Kerber said in an interview with the WTA in December. “And when I come back, I want to come back 100 percent, fit again and feel good. This is the plan.”

Kerber also revealed a valuable bit of advice she received from her colleagues on tour regarding her future comeback. The advice was to give importance to enjoying her family time, and returning only when she felt fully ready.

“Take your time. Enjoy the moment now. And then, they said I will feel when the time is there to come back. It’s better to take one month later than one month earlier," Kerber said.

During her time away, Kerber kept herself active by playing a bit of tennis with the kids from her tennis academy in Poland.