World No. 1 Novak Djokovic welcomes baby boy

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Novak Djokovic is a proud father.

The top-ranked tennis player tweeted Wednesday that he and his wife, Jelena, were celebrating the birth of their first child - a boy named Stefan.

''Stefan, our baby angel was born!'' Djokovic posted on Twitter early Wednesday. ''I'm so proud of my beautiful wife Jelena! Thank you so much for your love and support. We love you all!!!''

On his website, Djokovic said the ''birth passed in the best way, and the baby and the mother are feeling fine.''

RTS, Serbia's state TV, reported that Djokovic's wife gave birth on Tuesday in Nice, France, close to where they reside in Monaco.

The new parents met in high school, and they have been together for more than eight years.

The couple married on July 10, four days after Djokovic won Wimbledon by beating Roger Federer in the final.

Djokovic said on his website that he intends to play at the Paris Masters next week where he will try to defend the title and stave off Federer's challenge for the year-end No. 1 ranking.

The Serbian said he will spend ''several days with the baby and wife Jelena'' before travelling to Paris.

His Serb compatriot and leading women's player Ana Ivanovic has known Djokovic since childhood and said it was ''great news.''

''I actually found out this morning after I woke up, and I was really thrilled for them,'' said Ivanovic, who is playing the WTA Finals in Singapore. ''It's one of the best moments you can have in life. I got goose bumps. It's really thrilling, and I'm really happy for them.''�