Former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki plans to return to tennis after giving birth to her first child but it will be no rush back onto the courts.
Lisicki, 34, has not played since December. She dpa that the child is due in autumn, and that she would then return - when she considers herself ready.
"I will come back. I want to get everything out of it. When I come back, I want to do it properly. I just still have so much passion for this sport in me," Lisicki said.
"My standards are still very high and I don't want to come back to the tour if I'm not ready."
Lisicki famously reached the Wimbledon final in 2013, losing to Marion Bartoli, after beating then world number one Serena Williams in the last 16.
She has steadily declined over the years. Her fourth and so far last career title dates back to November 2014, and she has slid in the rankings from a career-best 12th in 2012 to a current 445th.
Lisicki said it took her while to get used to being pregnant as she named "fatigue and sickness" her biggest problems.
"It took me a while to come to terms with the idea that it's okay to be exhausted sometimes," she said.
