{"id":298116,"date":"2023-12-14T19:24:21","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T19:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=298116"},"modified":"2023-12-14T19:24:21","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T19:24:21","slug":"naomi-osaka-opens-up-on-her-life-as-a-mother-ahead-of-tennis-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/tennis\/naomi-osaka-opens-up-on-her-life-as-a-mother-ahead-of-tennis-comeback\/","title":{"rendered":"Naomi Osaka opens up on her life as a mother ahead of tennis comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"
Naomi Osaka has opened up on the trials and tribulations of becoming a mother as she prepares to return to tennis. The 26-year-old hasn’t played a professional game since Sept. 2022 but is now preparing to return to the courts after giving birth.<\/p>\n
Osaka welcomed her first child, Shai, with her partner Cordae back in July. The two-time US Open winner withdrew from the Australian Open in January after learning of her pregnancy, taking time away from the courts to focus on motherhood.<\/p>\n
Almost a year on the Japanese tennis star is eyeing a return to the sport almost five months on from giving birth, posting on X that she will feature at the upcoming Brisbane International. In an interview with InStyle, Osaka has reflected on her pregnancy, revealing how she has coped over the last five months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t think people know how hard pregnancy is; no one really talks about it as much,” she said. “Going into it, you kind of think: ‘Oh, it’s this beautiful journey’. But it’s kind of rough.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere was a huge adjustment period,\u201d Osaka added when reflecting on the early stages of her pregnancy. \u201cIt was life-changing in a day. From the moment that you come back home from the hospital, everything’s different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Osaka went on to reveal that giving birth was the “worst pain of my life” but insisted the experience put things into perspective. \u201cAnd I know that if I get through this, then everything else will feel very easy,” she added.<\/p>\n
With Shai now five months old, the two-time Australian Open champion is viewing a return to tennis. The former World No. 1 has documented her return to full fitness over the last few weeks via her Instagram account, including clips of her back on tennis courts to get back to being match-sharp.<\/p>\n