Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has announced that she is expecting a mother and intends to return to competition in 2024 at the Australian Open. “These months without sports have given me a renewed love and appreciation for the game I have dedicated my life to. . I realize that life is very short and I don’t take a moment for granted, every day is a new blessing and an adventure,” the tennis player, who was world number one in 2019, hinted on social networks.
“I know I still have a lot ahead of me in the future; One thing I look forward to is when my son sees one of my games and says to someone, ‘This is my mom.’ 2023 will be a year of lessons for me and I hope to see you early next year because I will be in Australia in 2024,” he added in his text, alongside an image of an ultrasound.
The 25-year-old Osaka has not competed since last September, when she defeated Daria Saville by retreat in the first match of the Pan Pacific Open tournament in Tokyo. The US-raised Japanese was unable to play the second game against Beatriz Haddad Maia due to abdominal pain that forced her to withdraw. The tennis player, who is currently 47th in the WTA rankings, was also unable to take part in Wimbledon last July due to an Achilles tendon injury. Osaka had previously announced that she was not motivated to compete in the British tournament as it does not award ranking points.
Osaka has won four Grand Slam singles titles (the 2019 and 2021 Australian Open and the 2018 and 2020 US Open). Forbes magazine named her the world’s highest-earning female athlete for 2022 with reported earnings of $51.1 million. However, his commercial success was not reflected on the pitch last year as he not only competed at Wimbledon but also suffered losses in the first round of Roland Garros and the United States Open.
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