Serena Williams Has Baby Girl

WEST PALM BEACH, FL — If timing is truly everything, tennis superstar Serena Williams couldn't have picked a better time to give birth on Friday. The first-time mother had her baby as big sister, Venus, prepared to take the court for her third-round match at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in New York. Williams gave birth at St. Mary's Medical Center not far from her home in Palm Beach Gardens.

With the delivery, Williams record at the U.S. Open improves to six singles titles, two doubles titles and one baby girl, 6 pounds 13 ounces.

"I'm so thrilled for her and what a role model she's going to be for that daughter," fellow tennis legend and friend Chris Evert said during the ESPN broadcast of the U.S. Open around 3:40 p.m. "I told Serena this, 'It's a love that you've never felt before' and I know she's probably experiencing that right now."

Evert also joked that Serena's baby was with her when she won the Australian Open. "She already has a grand slam title."

Williams' spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak initially denied reports that Williams was in labor on Friday. "The rumors are not accurate," she told Patch earlier in the day.

Tennis commentator Patrick McEnroe passed along the good news of Williams' labor earlier during Friday afternoon's broadcast of the U.S. Open on ESPN. He predicted that Venus might be on the court when the big moment arrived, but the baby was ahead of schedule.

"It started this year on a very good note for Venus at the Australian Open, making it all the way to the final where by the way she's playing her sister, who we have just heard has just gone into labor," McEnroe said. "Venus may be on court while Serena is giving birth."

Venus Williams told the ESPN audience before her match: "I'm super excited, and words can't describe." She celebrated with a win over Maria Sakkari in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

The Palm Beach Gardens resident announced her pregnancy in April on Snapchat, but the post was later removed, leading to some initial confusion as to whether she was, or was not, in a motherly way.

Williams is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who asked for her hand in December of 2016. The couple is said to have been dating since the fall of 2015. Reddit is a social hub billed as the "front page of the Internet."

The couple has appeared in at least one commercial together.

Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles Final of the 2017 Australian Open on Jan. 28. against big sister Venus (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)