Former WTA world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit recently gave birth to her first child, a baby boy named Leon Enzo Lepistu. The Estonian tennis star shared the joyful news on Instagram with a heartwarming photo of the newborn sleeping peacefully.
In the touching image, Kontaveit is seen gently caressing Leon’s head, while the baby holds onto his father’s finger. The proud mom captioned the photo: “First week with our Leon Enzo Lepistu. So much love.”
Many of Kontaveit’s fellow tennis players, including Ons Jabeur, Sorana Cirstea, Elena Vesnina, Monica Puig, Naomi Broady, and Sabine Lisicki (who also recently became a mother), were quick to offer their congratulations.
The 28-year-old Kontaveit has been in a relationship with Estonian soccer player Brent Lepistu since at least 2022, as evidenced by photos on her Instagram. Lepistu, two years older than Kontaveit, is a professional midfielder for Premium Liiga club FCI Levadia. The couple announced pregnancy news in May 2024.
Kontaveit retired from professional tennis in July 2023 after a stellar 13-year career on the Hologic WTA Tour. She cited lumbar disc degeneration as the reason for her decision. Her 2021 season was the pinnacle of her career, winning four titles and making history as the first Estonian to qualify for the WTA Finals. Over her career, she claimed six WTA titles, with her first at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2017 being especially meaningful. Among her other highlights are reaching the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open.
In addition to her new journey as a mother, Kontaveit has teased an exciting new project—a book set to be released in November 2024. Written by renowned Estonian author and journalist Eia Uus, the memoir will offer a deep dive into Kontaveit’s rise to tennis stardom, recounting both her triumphs and challenges on the road to success. The book is expected to be published in Estonian, offering fans a personal glimpse into the life of one of the country’s greatest athletes.
I can’t believe how all these tennis players feel like they have to write books about their lives. Venus Williams maybe, but Anett is still pretty young and was never a top player.
CLT, I agree that some of them don’t seem to have much of a story to share, but I suppose they and their teams have weighed the decision and believe it’s a smart move financially.