Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka will be temporarily leaving the sport after announcing that she is expecting her first child.
Former world No. 1 and four-time champion Naomi Osaka entered motherhood by announcing her pregnancy on her social media accounts just after withdrawing from the upcoming Australian Open on Sunday.
Before the organizers' announcement of her withdrawal from the tournament, her participation was doubtful as the tennis star was seen flying over from Europe after the holidays with her boyfriend, rapper Cordae, and then posted a picture of herself in a pilates studio in the States.
This time, her social media activity shocked her followers as she suddenly posted a photo of an ultrasound scan on her socials on Wednesday.
"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," said the 25 year-old along with the photo, reported CNN.
"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."
Truly, the former world No. 1 has yet to play competitive tennis since the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September last year and has not played a full match since her first-round loss at the US Open with just 11 tournaments in 2022, according to ESPN.
"I know that I have 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 [Australian Open] 2024."
With Osaka’s announcement, she will be away from the sport for at least the whole of 2023, targeting next year's Australian Open as her return to competitive play in which she has won on two previous occasions.
Tags: #tennis, #pregnancy, #motherhood