On January 11, 2023 (local time), Naomi Osaka (25), a former world number one female tennis player who has won four Grand Slam titles, announced the pregnancy of her first child through her SNS. A surprise post just days after her Australian Open announcement that she will be out of the tournament has attracted a lot of attention.
Naomi Osaka (25) captioned her SNS, “I can’t wait to get back on the court, but here’s a little update on what’s going on in 2023.” Posted an image that was projected.
It has received a great response, and celebrities such as Nicolas Ghesquière (51) of Louis Vuitton and actor Kate Hudson (43) and popular players in the tennis world have received comments of congratulations one after another.
In an English message, Osaka said, “Life is so short that no moment can be taken for granted. I realize that every day is a new blessing and an adventure.” There are so many things to look forward to in the future, one of which I look forward to is my child watching me play and telling someone that ‘that’s my mommy’ (laughs).” made it clear that
The post did not mention his father, but the first report suggested that Osaka was American rapper Corde (25), who has been dating since 2019, and then Billboard announced that he was acting on his behalf. After confirming with a person, the father admitted that it was Corde.
A few days before this surprising news, on January 8 (local time), the organizers of the Australian Open, one of the four major tennis tournaments, announced that Osaka would not participate. Osaka, who has won twice in 2019 and 2021, is said to have been on the entry list for this year’s tournament, which will begin on January 16 (local time).
However, there were no plans to participate in the preliminaries, and there were rumors that he was “unknown” and likely to be absent from the tournament at one point, and overseas media such as the British “Guardian” reported that the tournament side was confused because they could not contact him.
Even when the organizers of the tournament announced that he would not be participating, no official reason was given. It has caused various speculations on the Internet, and many people have been worried about his future career.
In 2022, it was reported that Osaka was ranked number one for the third consecutive year, earning an estimated $51.1 million (approximately 6.7 billion yen) in the ranking of the “World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes” announced by “Forbes” in the United States. But most of it comes from advertising revenue.
His main business has been in a slump since he won the second place at the Miami Open in March. At the tournament held in Tokyo in September, he withdrew in the second round because of stomach pain. After that, he has been away from the game, and the WTA world ranking as of January 9, 2023 has dropped to 47th.
In 2021, Osaka made headlines around the world by revealing her mental anguish. He issued a statement refusing to hold a post-match press conference in the first round of the French Open that year and withdrew in the second round. He also withdrew from the following Wimbledon Championships.
Since winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2018 US Open at the age of 20, he has revealed that he has struggled with depression and anxiety for a long time. It is said that the popular rapper Kode helped Osaka fight against such mental health problems.
Corde is a notable rapper who has been nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2021 and is also known for collaborating with singer-songwriters HER (25) and Young Thug (31).
It is said that the two first dated in 2019 when they watched the NBA LA Clippers game, but at that time, when asked about tennis, only Serena Williams (41) and her sister Venus (42) were named. It is said that he was too ignorant to mention that he did not know that Osaka was a famous tennis player.
Although the two have not made their relationship public, they support each other both professionally and privately. Even when he won the 2020 US Open, which was held without spectators due to the corona wreck, he revealed that Code was a big presence, and expressed his gratitude in an Instagram post (now deleted).
Osaka, who had been in isolation during the two-week tournament, said on FaceTime that she was lonely, and Corde immediately threw everything away and rushed to NY. “I still don’t know the rules of tennis (laughs).”
Such Osaka also supports Corde’s music activities through SNS. When he released his sophomore album, he told his boyfriend, “It’s really inspiring to get close to someone and see how much love and dedication they put into their creation.” praise.
“You’re a star, you’re a light, you literally light up every room you walk in (maybe because of your hair lol),” he joked, adding that he was “proud.” .
Reflecting on her career at the beginning of her pregnancy announcement message, she said, “The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I’ve realized that the most difficult times in life may be the most fun. The last few months of playing tennis. By leaving the sport, I was able to find a new love and appreciation for the sport that I have devoted my life to,” Osaka wrote.
“I believe there is no perfect or right path in life. I believe that if I just keep moving forward with good intentions, my path will open up,” she added.
Finally, he said, “2023 is going to be a year with many lessons for me.”
This season will be closed for the rest of the season, so I won’t be able to see Osaka play, but I’m looking forward to the news of the birth of a baby who inherits the DNA of a star player in the tennis world and a notable rapper in the music world.