The News
International tennis star Naomi Osaka announced that she is pregnant on Wednesday.
In a post on social media, the 25-year-old four-time Grand Slam singles champion wrote that “one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom.’”
Osaka, who was born in Japan and raised in the U.S., said she plans to return to tennis with the Australian Open in 2024.
Step Back
Osaka, once ranked No. 1 in women’s singles tennis, took a break from the sport in 2021, citing struggles with depression and anxiety.
She made headlines for not participating in post-match press conferences during the French Open that year, saying they affected her mental health. She was fined $15,000 for skipping a press conference, before later withdrawing from the tournament.
After the Olympic Games that year, where she represented Japan, she announced an indefinite break. She returned to international tournaments in 2022.
In her pregnancy announcement, Osaka said her time away from the sport “has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to.”
She has been No. 1 on Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes for the last three years, earning $51.1 million in 2022 through sponsorship deals and business ventures.
