Ash Barty delivers an ace with baby Hayden

Retired tennis superstar Ash Barty has welcomed her first child, a boy named Hayden.

Ash Barty's newborn baby Hayden. Picture: Instagram

Retired tennis superstar Ash Barty has welcomed her first child. “Our beautiful boy … Welcome to the world, Hayden,” Barty and husband Garry Kissick said in an Instagram post, beside a picture of the newborn.

The three-time grand slam tournament winner, who retired last year at 25, announced her pregnancy with Kissick in January.

She also broke the news then on Instagram when she posted a small pair of tennis shoes beside her pet dog Origi.

“We are so excited about our new adventure,’’ Barty wrote. “Origi the protective big sister.”

Barty shocked the tennis world when she retired after winning last year’s Australian Open. She was the No. 1 women’s player for the two years beforehand. Since then, there has been much speculation about whether she would one day return to professional tennis. Earlier this year, former top 10 women’s singles player Jelena Dokic admitted she would love to see the reigning Australian Open champion playing tennis again.

Ash Barty and Garry Kissick. Picture: Instagram

Since she retired, Barty, who grew up with two older sisters and a big extended family, sees her nieces and nephew often. She has always been open about her relationship with them.

Barty has also become a best-selling author with her autobiography, My Dream Time. In it she wrote: “(My niece) Lucy calls and asks the inevitable question – ‘Can I have a sleepover?’ – and I respond the same way every time – ‘Of course you can, babe – come on over!’ What I love most about those moments is that they’re no longer special.”