Former World No. 4 Johanna Konta has announced her pregnancy less than six months after her official retirement from professional tennis.
In an Instagram post, Konta shared the delightful news, captioning a photo of herself tenderly caressing her baby bump with the message, "Busy baking my own little muffin right now," simultaneously referencing her passion for baking when she is away from the Tour.
Konta is married to film producer and long-term boyfriend Jackson Wade. The couple tied the knot last December in London, seven months after their engagement and just a few days after the British tennis star confirmed her retirement from the sport.
During her playing career, Konta earned more than $10 million in prize money, peaked at a career-high ranking of World No. 4 on the WTA Tour, and reached three Grand Slam semifinals, one of which was at her home tournament in Wimbledon in 2017.
She was the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon last four since 1978 (Virginia Wade). Konta won four WTA titles, the biggest of which was at the WTA 1000 in Miami, and was the British No. 1 female player for close to six years.
The 30-year-old is considered a breed of late bloomers on the WTA Tour. She turned pro in 2008, but it was in her late twenties that she made a significant breakthrough into the upper tier of women's tennis.
Earlier this year, Konta was part of the Eurosport television crew that covered the Australian Open from the booth. This suggests a future permanent career as a journalist could be her calling.
She is set to celebrate her 31st birthday next week, which is the best news possible. Konta was born to Hungarian parents in Sydney, Australia, and briefly represented Australia in the early phase of her career. She would switch allegiance to Great Britain in 2012 until her retirement.