Andy Murray and wife Kim Sears expecting second child

Andy Murray and his wife Kim Sears are expecting their second child.

The couple, who already a 17-month-old daughter called Sophie, are understood to have revealed the pregnancy to both family and friends.

The news comes as the world number one, who has lost nine of his 30 matches in 2017, gets ready for his opening match at Wimbledon as defending champion.

On Monday, Murray will take to Centre Court where he will face Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, a 20-year-old who is ranked 134 in the world.

After losing to Jordan Thompson, who is ranked 90, at the Aegon Queen’s Championships, Murray confessed the loss was a “big blow” to the chances of him holding on to his 2016 Wimbledon Crown.

Murray, who married Sears in 2015 at Dunblane Cathedral in his hometown, has spoken about the fact family is the most important thing to him.

Last year, he said being a good father is more important to him than tennis, saying parenthood and making sure his daughter does not grow up thinking he was an inadequate father are his number one priority.

“I’d rather be getting up in the middle of the night and helping her [Sophia] than winning every tennis match and her thinking when she grows up: ‘Actually, you know what, he was a s****y dad but he won a lot of tennis matches so, you know, well done,” he told The Mail on Sunday.

“Becoming a parent is life-changing and if it helps my tennis, great. And if it doesn’t, that’s fine,” he said. “That’s not a problem for me now. My priority is to be a good father first,” he continued. “Obviously, I still want to do well in my job. I still work hard and train hard but my priority is to be a good parent."