Federer soon to be a father

Basel, Switzerland: Roger Federer is going to be a father.

The second-ranked Swiss tennis player said in a message posted on Thursday on his website that girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec is pregnant with the couple's first child.

"This is a dream come true for us," the 27-year-old Federer said. "We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well."

The baby is due sometime in the summer, he said. "We are so happy to be starting a family together," said Federer, who met Vavrinec at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.