Every year, we see a new wave of famous athletes either enter parenthood for the first time or add to a growing household – either way, it calls for a celebration as we say hello to a new generation of kids who will grow up with all the love, support, and guidance necessary for a childhood filled with good memories.
The hype was real in 2022 as we saw a variety of famous athletes welcome a child – including Zach and Julie Ertz, Tristan Thompson, Maria Sharapova, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joey Logano, Odell Beckham Jr., Patrick Mahomes, Michelle Kwan, CJ McCollum, Van Jefferson, and Chad Ochocinco Johnson.
Luckily for fans, they didn’t have to wait long before the next wave of famous athletes started giving birth of kids of their own – and it’s the gift that keeps on giving, so we’re not done just yet. There are several high-profile athletes who are due any week/month now – if you’re not excited, then you’re about to be!
Which Famous Athletes Have Welcomed Children in 2023?
via Instagram (@kykelce)
If you haven’t been following social media over the past eight months, let me fill you in – Naomi Osaka is a mom now, Derek Jeter had his first son after having three daughters, Nick Allegretti welcomed twins hours before winning a Super Bowl, and the list of famous athletes to welcome a child continues to grow.
William Karlsson, Brooks Koepka, and Erin Andrews are officially first-time parents, while Francisco Lindor, Ryan Lochte, Brady Quinn and Alicia Sacramone, and Matt Ryan all added to their growing families. As you can see, sports fans have been spoiled with all the new pregnancies and births this year.
A lot has happened since we turned the calendars to 2023 and we still have four more months to go before we turn the calendars again – so prepare for more pregnancy and birth announcements in the near future. For now, let’s recap some of the famous athletes who have already welcomed a child in 2023.
1. Nick Allegretti and Christina Allegretti
Incredible day for Chiefs OL Nick Allegretti. His wife Christina gave birth to twins about 4 a.m. Sunday morning, and he finished the day with his second Super Bowl ring. “Best day of my life no matter what.” pic.twitter.com/tUoBxkZuve
On February 12, Nick Allegretti and Christina Allegretti welcomed their first two children together – names for the twin girls weren’t revealed. The birth happened in the early hours of Super Bowl gameday and Allegretti was forced to watch the birth over FaceTime while his teammates slept in the hotel.
While he didn’t get much sleep (if any) that night, but he won the second Super Bowl of his career later that day when his Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn’t play too big of a role in that game, but he had other, more important things on his mind – like meeting his twins for the first time.
On February 13, Mecole Hardman and his girlfriend, Chariah Gordon, welcomed their first child together – a son whose name has yet to be revealed by the couple. His birth came just hours after Hardman’s team (Kansas City Chiefs) won the Super Bowl, but he was unable to play in the game due to an injury.
It was quite a long day for the couple, who got to the hospital at around 3:00 a.m. on February 12 – Hardman tweeted that her water broke at 2:40 a.m. and she confirmed it moments later with a picture from the back of an ambulance. She ended up giving birth more than 24 hours later – after the big game.
On February 23, Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie Kelce, welcomed their third child together – a daughter named Bennett Llewellyn Kelce, who weighed 8 lbs., 5oz. and measured 21 in. at the time of her birth. The little girl enters this world with two big sisters to protect her – Elliotte Ray, 23 months, and Wyatt, 3.
The addition comes just 11 days after Jason suited up for the Super Bowl – a game his Philadelphia Eagles played well in, but lost. His wife actually had both of her OB doctors at the game with her while she cheered on her husband – now that’s what I call a devoted wife. Now, they’re officially a family of 5.
Nayel Nassar and his wife, Jennifer Gates, welcomed their first child together – a daughter named Leila – sometime in late-February 2023. The birth was kept a secret for nearly a week, but the couple finally shared a photo of the baby’s feet in early May and have posted several photos of the baby ever since.
Nassar, an Egyptian-American professional equestrian, started dating Jennifer, the eldest child of Bill Gates, in January 2017. The couple got engaged in January 2020 and tied the knot in October 2021. The pregnancy announcement came in November 2022 and they revealed the sex (female) in December.
On March 17, Brady Quinn and his wife, Alicia Sacramone, welcomed their fourth child together – a son named Cavanaugh Ty Quinn. The couple kept the pregnancy and subsequent birth under wraps until April 17, when they announced the birth to everyone’s surprise – sharing photos of their little guy on Instagram.
The couple began dating in 2009, got engaged in August 2013, and tied the knot in March 2014. Prior to having their first son, they were already parents to three daughters – Sloan (born in 2016), Teagan (born in 2018), and Cassidy (born in 2020). Now, the former NFL player and gymnastics star are a family of six.
6. Skylar Diggins Smith and Daniel Smith
Skylar Diggins-Smith posted this on her Instagram with the caption, "New addition loading 🧡" 👏🏽🙌🏽
Skylar Diggins Smith and her husband, Daniel Smith, welcomed their second child together earlier this year – a birth date, birth name, and gender have yet to be revealed. In fact, the star WNBA player kept the pregnancy and subsequent birth under wraps and she hasn’t posted about the baby on social media.
Diggins Smith met her future husband at the University of Notre Dame – she was playing for the school’s basketball team, while he was playing for their football team. They stayed together after college with Daniel proposing in June 2016 and the couple tying the knot in April 2017. Now, they’re parents of two.
Dearica Hamby and Orlando Scandrick welcomed their first child together – a son named Legend – sometime in mid-March. It’s unclear if the pair are dating, but they both have children from previous relationships – Orlando has a son and twin daughters, while Dearica has a 6-year-old daughter.
Hamby’s pregnancy didn’t come without controversy. She was traded by the Las Vegas Aces to the Los Angeles Sparks while pregnant and later alleged that the Aces bullied and manipulated her for being pregnant. Hamby returned to the court in time for the new season, just two months after giving birth.
On March 28, Tom Daley and his husband, Dustin Lance Black, welcomed their second child together – a son named Phoenix Rose Daley-Black. The couple, who shared the news on Instagram, are already parents to a 4-year-old son named Robert ‘Robbie’ Ray, who is already enjoying his role as a big brother.
Daley, who won four Olympic medals (one gold medal) in synchronized and platform diving, started dating screenwriter Black in 2013 – they got engaged in 2015 and tied the knot in May 2017. On March 22, Black took to Instagram to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of them meeting at a dinner in Los Angeles.
On April 3, Matt Ryan and his wife, Sarah Ryan, welcomed their third child together – a son named Cal Patrick Ryan. It’s their third son after having twin sons – Marshall Thomas and Johnny Matthew – in April 2018. The now-5-year-old twins have finally taken on the role of big brothers with Cal’s arrival.
“After years of unsuccessfully trying to grow our family, this past summer Matt and I decided to give it one last shot. I am forever thankful that we did,” Sarah Ryan wrote. “Because even though I’ve dreamt about this day for so long, the reality of having him here is better than anything I could have ever imagined.”
On May 3, Lindsay Arnold and Sam Cusick welcomed their second child together – a daughter named June. She enters this world with a big sister named Sage, who was born in November 2020 and will be turning three years old in a few months. Arnold has always been open about her journey to motherhood.
Lindsay and Sam started dating in high school and transformed that high school love into a happily ever after. The couple got engaged in 2014 before tying the knot on June 18, 2015. They waited more than five years before starting a family, but now they have two daughters to show for it and couldn’t be any happier.
On May 5, Derek Jeter and his wife, Hannah Davis Jeter, welcomed their fourth child (first son) together – named Kaius Green Jeter. The couple met in 2012, got engaged in October 2015, and tied the knot on July 9, 2016. They also have three daughters – River Rose, 17 months, Story Grey, 4, and Bella Raine, 5.
In addition to sharing the boy’s name and birth date on his Instagram – which he captioned, “Welcome to the world lil man!!!” – Jeter also changed his Instagram bio to read, “Sleep-deprived father of four.” The Hall of Fame baseball player will be celebrating his 10-year retirement anniversary in September 2024.
On May 12, William Karlsson and Emily Ferguson welcomed their first child together – a son named Beckham William Karlsson. The couple met in 2017, got engaged in December 2020, and tied the knot on July 23, 2022. After nearly six years together, the couple can finally say they’re a family of three.
The baby boy was born around 1:30 a.m. on May 12 and while Karlsson was there to witness it, he couldn’t stay long as he had a playoff game to play later that day. He ended up dishing a power play assist in a 4-3 Golden Knights’ win before leading the team to a Stanley Cup win one month later.
On June 17, Francisco Lindor and his wife, Katia Reguero, welcomed their second child together – a daughter named Amapola Chloé. The couple announced the birth on Instagram with an adorable photo of Amapola – the Spanish word for the ‘poppy’ flower – wrapped up tight in a pink swaddle blanket.
Lindor appeared in a game for the New York Mets the following day and put on quite the performance – hitting a solo home run in the first inning. It was his 13th home run of the 2023 season and his first at-bat as a father of two, making the home run extra special. He also had a walk and a run in the 5th inning.
On June 18 (Father’s Day), Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy welcomed their second child together – a son named Rio John. They made the announcement on Instagram and they revealed the first photo (and name) a few days later – he was 8 lbs., 6 oz. at the time of his birth and everyone was healthy.
As for why they chose the name Rio, it was actually a last-minute decision that they described as the ‘perfect complement to our long surname.’ They also thought it went well with their other son’s name, which is Shai. They chose the middle name ‘John’ to commemorate Maksim’s late father, Derek John.
On June 21, Ryan Lochte and his wife, Kayla Rae Reid, welcomed their third child together – a daughter named Georgia June Lochte. They announced the birth the following day with a photo of Georgia all snuggled up in a greed swaddle blanket with a pink bow on her head – she was 8 pounds when born.
“[We’re] thrilled. We are so excited. Ryan is such a great dad; I can’t wait to see him as a father to 3. He’s so great with kids in general, they always gravitate towards him,” Kayla said to Us Weekly at the time. “I am excited as well, [but] I am more of the worrier, the strict one, the not-as-fun parent, let’s just say.”
Bethany Hamilton and Adam Dirks welcomed their fourth child (first daughter) together – a daughter named Alaya Dorothy Dirks – in late-June 2023. They shared the news on Instagram on June 30 with a video montage of Alaya meeting her three older brothers – Micah, 2, Wesley, 5, and Tobias, 8.
“We are feeling really grateful to God for the blessing of family. We are honored for this opportunity to raise our children, to love, serve, protect and guide them through life!” the 33-year-old professional surfer wrote in the caption. Alaya has made several appearances on Hamilton’s Instagram in the weeks since.
On June 28, Erin Andrews and her husband, Jarrett Stoll, welcomed their first child together – a son named Mack – via a surrogate. The couple had been struggling with infertility for the past nine years, but their dream of raising a family finally came true in late-June and they couldn’t be happier to be parents.
Andrews has been open about her journey to motherhood and has detailed her experience with infertility, surrogacy, and everything else that comes with it. The couple were supposed to become parents two years ago, but they ended up losing twins via surrogacy. Despite the struggle, they’ve finally made it!
Naomi Osaka and her boyfriend, Cordrae, welcomed their first child together sometime around the first week in July. Cordrae allegedly revealed the baby’s name (Shai) at a concert on July 11 and said she was born a few days prior. On July 13, Naomi shared the first photo of Shai, but not a photo of her face yet.
In January, when Naomi announced the pregnancy, she revealed her plans to return to tennis at the Australian Open in 2024. She last competed at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan in September 2022 – when she had to withdraw due to an illness. The 2024 Australian Open begins in January 2024.
On July 27, Anthony Bass and his wife, Sydney Rae Bass, welcomed their third child (first son) together – a boy named Sonny Edward Bass. The couple is already parents to two daughters, Blaire, 2, and Brooklyn Rae, 5. The newborn boy spent some time in the NICU for fluid in his lungs and difficulty eating.
Sydney Rae went viral just a few months back when she was humiliated on a United Airlines flight while traveling pregnant with her two daughters. One of her daughters spilled popcorn on the floor and, instead of helping the mother out, the employees (including the captain of the plane) made her clean it up herself.
On July 27, Brooks Koepka and his wife, Jena Sims, welcomed their first child together – a son named Crew Sims Koepka. He revealed the news on Instagram, sharing a photo of him and his wife gazing into their little boy’s closed eyes. The birth came just two months after Koepka won his fifth career golf major.
The baby was born six weeks premature. Jena took to her Instagram Story to provide details of the birth and how difficult it was to leave the hospital without her baby, who was in the NICU. “Leaving the hospital without your baby is something I wish on no one. It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done,” Jena said.
Famous Athletes Who Are Currently Expecting
Now that you’re all caught up with the babies that have already been born, let’s get you caught up with all the babies that are still to come before we turn the calendars to 2024. For starters, Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanion, are due this fall and recently revealed that they’re having another girl!
Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East are set to become a family of five in early-December – meaning they’ll officially be outnumbered by their children. We also can’t forget about Philip Rivers and his wife, Tiffany Rivers, who are entering double-digits with what’ll be their 10th child (third son) in October 2023.
We would also be remiss not to pay tribute to Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist who died on May 2nd as a result of childbirth complications. She was eight months pregnant at the time of her death and her child was stillborn. Our thoughts and prayers go to her family and friends, who loved her dearly.
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