Professional tennis star Naomi Osaka has shared a frank insight into her “tough” return to work after welcoming her first child – a daughter called Shai – in July 2023.
In an exclusive chat with HELLO!, the 27-year-old sports sensation revealed that while motherhood has been “so fulfilling”, juggling work with family life can also be “tough”.
Opening up, Naomi, who returned from her maternity break in January 2024, admitted: “Becoming a mom has been so fulfilling.
“My career requires me to travel for most of the year, which makes it tough when I have to be away from my daughter so frequently, but I’ve got such a great support system around. It takes a village, and I truly couldn’t do it without mine.
The champ’s daughter, whom Naomi cites as her proudest achievement, has already developed “so much personality”. Reflecting on some of her recent milestones, the mother-of-one told us: “She’s walking and talking. She has so much personality- it’s so fun to see how she’s developing into her own person. I can’t believe she will be two this year!
“Motherhood has definitely given me a broader perspective on life. Kids require so much patience, and I’ve definitely learned to be more patient through my daughter.” She went on to add: “I have a great team around me, and they are there with me during the highs and lows.”
© Getty ImagesNaomi hasn’t ruled out of the possibility of expanding her brood one day. When asked whether more children might be on the cards, the athlete shared: “Maybe one day. I love cooking and having a house full of people to feed for so that would be fun. For now, I’ll stick to cooking for extended family and friends!”
While the four-time Grand Slam winner is once again finding her groove on the clay courts, Naomi revealed that her initial return to tennis was a “learning curve”.
“Tennis is very competitive and players continued to raise their levels while I was away,” she explained. “When I first came back, it was definitely a learning curve to catch up but I’m now starting to feel like my level is higher and I can compete and beat the best in the world.
© Getty ImagesSince returning from maternity leave, the pro tennis star, who is currently ranked 49th in the WTA Singles Ranking, has bagged some notable wins. Earlier this month, she scooped the first WTA 125 title of her career to win the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo in France – an accomplishment she described as “very rewarding” in light of her boosted efforts to master the clay surface.
“It felt really good!” Naomi said. “For years, I’ve always felt that clay was my most challenging surface so getting my first clay title was very rewarding and a testament to the hard work I’ve been putting into mastering the surface.”
© Getty ImagesNaomi is set to face the clay courts once again at Roland-Garros. Despite having never progressed beyond round three at the French tournament, the Japanese player admitted that progressing to the final would be a significant achievement.
“It would mean a lot to me to make it to any final but especially at Roland Garros because historically I haven’t achieved my best results on the surface,” she explained. “Last year I proved to myself that I can play on clay and I’m excited to see what I can do this year.
In 2021, Naomi withdrew from the French Open, revealing she had “suffered long bouts of depression” ever since she clinched her first major at the US Open in 2018.
Over the years, the tennis star has become an advocate for mental health. She recently partnered with Modern Health during Mental Health Awareness Month to help break the stigma working parents face every day.
© Modern HealthWhen asked about the tools she uses to bolster her mental wellbeing, Naomi cited meditating as the key to grounding herself. In her role as Modern Health’s Chief Community Health Advocate, Naomi said: “I’ve always loved meditating to ground myself, which is why I’ve been so passionate about developing my own meditations for adults and children through my partner, Modern Health”.
“Lately, I’ve been really making a point to stop and be present and appreciate the small things.”
Modern Health is a global leader in adaptive mental health care, offering multi-modal mental health support in the form of therapy, psychiatry, coaching, community groups, self-guided tools, and crisis support. The organisation creates individualised care journeys to address a spectrum of mental health needs and preferences with culturally responsive providers in 200+ countries and territories and 80+ languages.
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