Australian tennis star announces she is gay and that she is now a mother

An Australian tennis star surprised fans this week with by announcing publicly that she is gay, as well as the birth of her first child.

Casey Dellacqua celebrated the birth of her son Blake Benjamin, born to her and her partner Amanda, and at the same time, announced for the first time that she is a lesbian.

“I think you all know I’m pretty normal, so my whole thing in life is family, and it’s been a really exciting time for me,” Dellacqua said.

Fans were both surprised by the statement, as well as the way it was delivered, as Dellacqua did not elaborate on her personal life, and did not make any political statement.

Having recently bowed out of the US open, and not having competed at Wimbledon, Dellacqua said: “It was my time just to be at home, and to be with my family.”

The 28-year-old noted that some other players go out on tour with children, despite that it remains rare to see mothers on the international tour. “You see a lot of players out on tour with families,” she said.

Saying she planned to bring her new family with her, Dellacqua said: “Hopefully they’ll be able to do a bit of travel, and we can get him a passport and introduce him to the tour.”

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