Tennis superstar Roger Federer and longtime partner Mirka Vavrinec are expecting their first baby this summer, the Swiss ace revealed on his personal Web site on Thursday.
Describing it as “awesome news”, he wrote on www.rogerfederer.com. “Mirka and I are excited to let you know that we will be parents this summer! Mirka is pregnant and we are so happy to be starting a family together. “This is a dream come true for us,” the 27-year-old added. “We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.” Federer met Vavrinec at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and she has been his constant companion at tennis events around the world. Former world number one Federer is in Indian Wells in California for the first Masters Series event of the season, his first tournament since his emotional defeat to Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open. “I arrived in Indian Wells earlier this week and I am eager to get back out on court,” Federer said. “My back is feeling much better and I am ready to go.” Federer, a 13-time grand slam winner, will look to renew his rivalry with current world number one Nadal in the prestigious tournament having been out of the action since losing in five sets to him in Melbourne. In other tennis news on Thursday, tickets for the first match to be played under the new roof on Wimbledon’s centre court sold out in just five minutes. Husband-and-wife team Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, both former Wimbledon champions, will be playing mixed doubles when the roof is officially opened on May 17. Belgian favorite Kim Clijsters and former British number one Tim Henman will also be competing before a capacity 15,000 crowd on the most famous court in tennis. Organizers need to test out the facility ahead of the Wimbledon championships at the end of June.
