Former world no. 11, Anastasija Sevastova has given birth to her first child, a daughter named Alexandra.
Sevastova has been on an indefinite break from tennis since February of this year. That announcement gave some fans a newfound appreciation for her solid career, as she does not naturally take the spotlight.
The Latvian's most notable achievements came at the US Open. Sevastova reached the quarterfinals in 2016 and 2017, losing to the eventual champion Sloane Stephens in the second of those quarterfinals.
The 32-year-old got her revenge a year later at Flushing Meadows, overcoming Stephens at the same stage to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. Serena Williams, who recently teased a possible return to tennis, proved too strong, dropping just three games in their match.
Sevastova is also a four-time WTA title winner. Three of these were on clay, with the other coming on the grass courts of the Mallorca Open in June 2017. Her most recent title was on home soil at the Baltic Open in July 2019.
It is unclear whether Sevastova will ever return from the indefinite break she took in February. However, the recent happy news about the birth of her first child makes a return to tennis unlikely anytime soon.
The Latvian shared the news on Instagram with a post featuring her and her longtime coach and partner. It was a wonderful moment, and hopefully, the family will have a wonderful life together.
Many WTA players, including Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, have returned to tennis after giving birth. Tatjana Maria, who reached the semifinals of this year's Wimbledon Championships, is another example.
That shows Sevastova that coming back to tennis is not impossible. For now, she and her partner will be focused on the joyful development of having a daughter. Sevastova will not be thinking about returning to the WTA Tour at the moment.