Naomi Osaka has provided context for her absence from this year’s Australian Open, posting a photo and text on Twitter announcing she is pregnant with her first child.
The 25-year-old tennis star and four-time Grand Slam champion posted a photo of a baby ultrasound dated last month along with the message: ‘Can’t wait to get back on the court but here’s a little life update for 2023.”
He also included screenshots of a statement in both English and Japanese in which he wrote: “These months away from the sport have given me a new love and appreciation for the game I have dedicated my life to.
“I know I have a lot to look forward to in the future; One thing I’m really looking forward to is for my son to watch some of my matches and say to someone, “That’s my mom.”
Osaka officially withdrew from the Australian Open, which she has won twice, on Sunday, prompting questions and speculation about her absence. He added that he was looking forward to returning to Melbourne Park to take part in next year’s tournament.
The former world No. 1, who is also a two-time US Open winner, last played a competitive match at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September, where she won her first match against Daria Saville before withdrawing before his second round. tie with Beatriz Haddad Maia due to abdominal pain.
Osaka has been in a relationship with North Carolina rapper Cordae since 2019, the same year she reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time, and the pair shut down rumors that they had split in august A publicist for the Grammy-nominated musician confirmed to the Guardian that he is the father of Osaka’s child.
Osaka, who lifted the trophy in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021, is the latest in a line of recent Australian Open champions to take maternity leave.
Ashleigh Barty, last year’s winner, retired in March while ranked No.1 before announcing she was pregnant last week. Caroline Wozniacki, the 2018 champion, welcomed her second child with husband David Lee in October, while Serena Williams won the 2017 tournament while pregnant with daughter Alexis Olympia.
Osaka has made several highly publicized revelations about her struggles with mental health since pulling out of the 2021 French Open, revealing she had “suffered long bouts of depression” since her breakthrough title at the 2018 US Open.
“I don’t think there’s a perfectly right path in life, but I’ve always felt that if you go forward with good intentions, you’ll eventually find your way,” he added Wednesday.