Baby Fever

Jie Zheng welcomes first child, Li Na announces second, and Kim Clijsters is expecting third.  (AP Photo)

Jie Zheng, once ranked as high as No. 15, has been completely missing in action from the WTA tour since playing doubles at Wimbledon last year. Her last singles match dates even farther back to the 2015 Australian Open. It turns out the quiet hiatus has been for good reason as the 32-year-old revealed on social media (China’s Weibo) that she became a first-time mother in April:

Jie was the first Chinese player to reach a major semifinal at Wimbledon in 2008. She was also ranked as high as No. 3 in doubles, with two doubles Grand Slam titles. She’s married to her coach and hitting partner Zhang Yu, and has not retired.

In less than three weeks, fellow Chinese tennis superstar Li Na will celebrate the first birthday of her daughter, Alisa. She recently revealed that she is expecting a second child:

Li was just namedthe global ambassador for her hometown tournament, the Wuhan Open. Her role will be increasing the tournament's international profile and growing tennis in Asia, which is something the two-time Grand Slam champion has done her entire career.

In case you missed it, Kim Clijsters, who retired two years before Li in 2012, is expecting her third child. She has an eight-year-old daughter, Jada, and three-year-old son, Jack with her husband Brian Lynch.

Maybe one, or a few, of these children will follow in the footsteps of their very successful mothers.