LONDON (AFP) - British tennis star Andy Murray has become a father for the first time after his wife Kim Sears gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday, the BBC reported on Tuesday.

Murray and Sears, who are both 28, got married in the world No. 2's home town of Dunblane in Scotland in April last year.

The Scot, who has won two Grand Slams in his career, reached the final of the Australian Open last month but lost to Serbian world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

He made a dash to the airport to fly home to his pregnant wife after his defeat on Jan 31.

Murray sent a message to Sears after the defeat to Djokovic, saying: "You have been a legend the last two weeks, thank you so much for all of your support.

"I'll be on the next flight home," he said.

During the tournament in Melbourne, Murray and Sears suffered a major scare when her father Nigel, a tennis coach, collapsed courtside and was taken to hospital.

The Lawn Tennis Association, the sport's governing body in Britain, on Tuesday tweeted a picture of Murray and Sears on their wedding day with the message: "Congratulations to @andy-murray & Kim Sears on the birth of their baby girl!"

Murray last year reached the semi-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon and steered Britain to its first Davis Cup title in almost 80 years.

The Olympic gold medallist won the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013.