Naomi Osaka has shared two bits of good news for her fans all over Twitter. She posted a picture of a sonogram of her baby and said she was pregnant. She also said that she might play tennis again in 2024.
Osaka rose to fame as the player who finally beat Serena Williams and took her place. Osaka has looked up to Williams since her childhood years, and in the 2018 U.S. Open, she emerged victorious over Williams, cementing her place in the world of tennis.
Her success just snowballed from her first Grand Slam win. She went on to win the Australian Open in 2019 against Czech Republic. With that win Osaka became the second player to win two consecutive titles after Serena Williams. She officially became number one in the world rankings in 2019. Naomi Osaka then completely dominated the U.S. Open and won again in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she completed her record of being among the 16 women who won four Grand Slams when she became the champion in the Australian Open.
Aside from tennis, Osaka is also very outspoken with her advocacies. She joined the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and even wore masks in support of the movement during the U.S. Open that year.
After winning her fourth Grand Slam, Osaka was set to compete in the French Open, but she withdrew from the competition. Her withdrawal almost caused her to be expelled from the contest altogether. She did compete in the 2021 U.S. Open but sadly lost. In a press conference right after her loss, Osaka opened up about her struggles with her mental health.
“I feel like for me, recently, like when I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad,” She tearfully said on the interview. In the same interview, she announced that she would take a break from playing and didn’t have concrete plans when she’d be able to play back.
Osaka’s fans have been very supportive of her decisions. Now, after almost two years, Osaka has surprised her fans with her pregnancy announcement and that she would probably play again next year.
“The past few years have been interesting, to say the least, but I find that it’s the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun. These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to. I realize that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure… 2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me, and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one ‘cause I’ll be at Aus 2024…” Her Twitter statement read.
Tennis enthusiasts can now look forward to Naomi Osaka’s comeback. She is set to take her place in the tennis greats again. Fans are excited for her and her baby as well as her participating in competitions again.