Barty surprisingly announced her retirement from tennis last March, just two months after she ended a 44-year wait for a home triumph at the Australian Open.

The 26-year-old, who won three grand slam singles titles during her career, revealed her pregnancy via an Instagram post on Friday.

"2023 set to be the best year yet. We are so excited for our new adventure. Origi already the protective big sister," Barty wrote, alongside an image of her dog Origi next to a pair of baby shoes. 

Barty's partner Garry Kissick also took to social media to share the news, posting a similar image featuring a baby-sized Liverpool kit with the caption: "Little Red, 2023".

Barty married professional golfer Kissick last July, six years after the pair met at the Brookwater Golf Club in 2016.

In addition to last year's Australian Open, Barty enjoyed singles success at Wimbledon in 2021 and the French Open in 2019, as well as winning the women's doubles title at the 2018 US Open alongside CoCo Vandeweghe.