Naomi Osaka says she is definitely returning to tennis after the pregnancy as the Japanese tennis star still feels “very competitive.” Osaka, 25, is a four-time Grand Slam champion and has been ranked at No 1 in the world.
This past January, Osaka announced her pregnancy. “I definitely plan to come back. It’s kind of like a break a little bit, but also I feel very competitive still,” Osaka told WBS, per The Daily Mail.
Osaka looking forward to having her kid one day in the stands
After not signing up to play any tournaments at the start of the 2023 season, Osaka also announced her withdrawal from the Australian Open.
That led to some wild speculation, with some thinking that Osaka’s career was over. But then, Osaka made an announcement and revealed that she wasn’t playing due to pregnancy. In her message, Osaka also said she was looking forward to the when her kid would be in the stands watching her matches.
“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 l’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. 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 one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom’, haha.
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,” Osaka announced on January 11th.
