Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka on Thursday was seen active in training just days after giving birth to her first child.
Naomi, 25, welcomed her first baby in the first week of July with her boyfriend Cordae who is a three-time Grammy-nominated rap artist.
The announcement of the baby’s birth was done by the rapper at a concert in Canada.
"My daughter Shai was just born a couple of days ago, so I dedicate this performance to my baby girl Shai,” Cordae spoke on the mic.
In a Twitter video posted by a Haiti-based media person, Osaka can be seen doing sideway walks.
The 25-year-old revealed her pregnancy in January 2023. She was last seen in action after a victory in her first-round match against Australia’s Daria Saville at the Pan Pacific Open in September.
She was supposed to play her round-two match against the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on September 22 but the Japanese tennis star withdrew from the tournament after falling sick.
"I am really sorry that I am not able to compete today. It’s an honor to be able to play at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in front of amazing fans here in Japan. I wish I could have stepped on the court today, but my body won’t let me," Osaka said.
It must be noted that Osaka announced in her pregnancy post that she would resume training at the start of 2024 as her goal is to compete in the Australian Open.
Osaka — former world no. 1 — has won four Grand Slams including US Open in 2018 and 2020 and Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.
Now due to her long absence on the court, she has dropped to rank 439, her lowest since 2013.
Aside from her professional life, Osaka has suffered from depression since the 2018 US Open. Meanwhile, in 2021, she was fined $15,000 because she refused to take part in the required press conference during the French Open.
Following the incident, she withdrew from the tournament and cited “dealing with mental health” as the reason. She also withdrew from Wimbledon for the same reason.