WTA star announces that she is expecting a baby girl in a cute video
Tennis star Alison Riske-Amritraj and her husband Stephen Armitraj are set to welcome their first child into the world later this year.
The 2020 US Olympian, who advanced to the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2019, revealed the news that she and her partner were having a child on Instagram earlier this week.
She collaborated with the couple’s dog, Teddy, to create a unique gender reveal.
Among those congratulating Riske-Amritraj were her Hologic WTA Tour colleagues Jennifer Brady, Danielle Collins, Ajla Tomljanovic, and Shelby Rogers; Collins even joked that she “can’t wait to spoil” both Teddy and the new baby.
The native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joins a group of players who made similar announcements within the past six months, including Belinda Bencic, Petra Kvitova, and Sabine Lisicki.
“Officially introducing our lovely Teddy Girl … who is introducing,” Riske-Amritraj, captioned a video of their family dog Teddy licking some pink frosting from a cake with text that read: “She is going to be a big sister! … Little sister Amritraj coming in July!”
When former world No 18 Riske-Amritraj last competed at Wimbledon last summer, she was defeated by Paula Badosa in the opening round.
The American, a three-time WTA Tour champion, advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals back in 2019 (beating then-world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty along the way) and advanced to the fourth round of three additional Grand Slam tournaments.
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Stephen Amritraj is the nephew of former World No 18 Vijay Amritraj and the son of former ATP pro Anand Amritraj.
The couple wed in 2019 and made no secret about their desire to start a family.
Amritraj also played college tennis at Duke University and was ranked in the doubles Top 200 on the ATP Tour in 2008.
Riske made it to the US Open’s fourth round in 2013 before winning her first WTA championship in 2014. The American overcame Switzerland’s Belinda Benic to go to the 2014 Tianjin Open finals without dropping a set.
China proved to be a favourable destination for her as well; a year later, she advanced to the Shenzhen Open finals but was defeated by Agnieszka Radwanska there.
Despite losing to Karolina Pliskova in the Nottingham Open final in 2016, the Atlantan star still believes that grass is her preferred surface even if she doesn’t have a title to show for it.
“The first time I set foot on it, I really loved it. It just kind of clicked for me. My ball is extremely flat and it doesn’t have much spin on it so it stays low on the grass.
“I look to finish points at the net as much as I can. I have always felt comfortable moving on it and I don’t know if everyone else, necessarily feels that way,” she told the Tennis Channel.
