Naomi Osaka pregnant: tennis star expecting baby with boyfriend Cordae - Australian Open withdrawal explained

Four-time grand slam winning tennis player Naomi Osaka has revealed that she is pregnant with her first child. Osaka, 25, made the anouncement on social media where she also shared a sonogram image of her unborn child.

The pregnancy means that the athlete will miss out on the rest of the 2023 tennis season. Osaka had already pulled out of the Australian Open before she announced her pragnancy to the world, with the first grand slam of the season due to begin on Monday 16 January.

It comes after a tough time for the young woman. In 2022, Osaka was forced to pull out of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo due to injury.

However, in her announcement on social media, Osaka remained upbeat about the future. She hinted at a return to the court in 2024.

What did Naomi Osaka say in her pregnancy announcement?

In a statement posted to social media, she shared the happy news with her followers alongside the sonogram picture. Osaka, who is Japanese-American, also shared the statement in Japanese.

She said: “The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that its 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 I’ve dedicated my life to. I realise that life is so short and I don’t take any moment 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,”. 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.”

What has been the reaction to the news?

While fans will be sad not to see Osaka hitting the court in 2023, however most were over-the-moon for the young athlete as she announced her pregnancy. This included fellow players such as Coco Gauff who lent her congratulations to Osaka.

Tennis icons also shared their congraultations. Billie Jean King said: “Congrautlations from the both of us!”, while Marina Navratilova added: “Wishing you only the best.”

Who is Naomi Osaka’s partner?

Osaka has been in a relationship with rapper Cordae. The pair began their relationship in 2019.

Cordae, 25, is a Grammy Award-nominated performer. He grew to prominence in 2019 when he released his first album ‘The Lost Boy’ to widespread acclaim.