Ashley Harkleroad reached the round of 16 at Indian Wells last March. Before this month is out, Harkleroad may be a mom.
The 23-year-old Harkleroad and fiancé and coach Chuck Adams are expecting their first child, a boy, in about two weeks. Harkleroad announced her pregnancy during the US Open last August.
Last March, Harkleroad upended seeds Lucie Safarova and Dinara Safina en route to the Indian Wells round of 16. She played her last match in July, losing in the opening round of Los Angeles, to finish the season 19-12.
After the birth of her baby, Harkleroad plans to return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, possibly later this season.
Harkleroad, the first tennis player to pose nude for Playboy when she graced the magazine’s August, 2008 cover, told Tennis Week contributor Mark Winters she had undergone treatment for an eating disorder, athletic bulimia, and has spoken out about her battle with the disease.
"I’m now comfortable with myself and want to help people who have the same disorder," Harkleroad told Winters. "I didn’t talk about it because there was no one to talk to."
