Naomi Osaka is absent from this year’s Australian Open because the tennis phenom is pregnant with her first child.
She shared a picture of her baby’s sonogram from last month and released statements in English and Japanese about her love for tennis and the opportunity to share her appreciation for the sport with her child.
“These few months away from the sport have really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to,” she wrote. “I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future; one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch some of my matches and tell someone, ‘That’s my mom.’”
She said she will return to tennis next year in time for the 2024 Australian Open. Her last competitive match was in September at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. She won against opponent Daria Saville before withdrawing in her second-round match with Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Osaka and North Carolina rapper Cordae have dated since 2019, this is their first child together.
