Baby conceived during Wimbledon 'dream come true' for Marcus Willis

Wimbledon tennis star Marcus Willis has revealed he is going to become a father - to a baby conceived during the tournament.

The British player, 25, stunned Wimbledon this year when he reached the second round to face Roger Federer on Centre Court despite being ranked at number 772 in the world.

He told Hello! magazine that becoming a father was "a dream come true" and even better than his tennis triumph.

"I'm really excited. Wimbledon was amazing but this is the best thing to come out of it," he said.

Marcus Willis beat 54th-ranked Ricardas Berankis 6-3 6-3 6-4. Credit: PA
Marcus Willis celebrates victory over 54th-ranked Ricardas Berankis on day one of Wimbledon. Credit: PA
Marcus Willis in action against Roger Federer at Wimbledon. Credit: PA

Willis beat Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis to make it through to the second round just months after he was talked out of quitting tennis by his fiancee Jenny Bate.

Bate, 30, told the magazine: "We think the baby was conceived after the Berankis game."

The divorced mother-of-two, whose baby is due on March 12, said of the moment she told Willis that she was pregnant: "I have never seen his face light up more.

"He said, 'This is the best news, it's better than Wimbledon'. I couldn't have wished for a better reaction."

She added: "We have wondered if we should call the baby Roger or something Wimbledon-related. But we thought no, we'll stick to a normal name. We'll decide when we see its little face."