'Worst Pain Of My Life': Osaka Opens Up About Her Pregnancy And Labor

Friday, 15 December 2023 at 02:20

byErik Virostko

Naomi Osaka recently became a mother, and with her return to the WTA Tour nearing, she spoke about her experiences from the past few years.

While being away from the spotlight, the Japanese player had a lot of time to reflect, think, and grow as a person. She became a mother and is now responsible not only for herself but also for another human being that she brought into the world.

However, her pregnancy and labor wasn't as smooth as she would have wanted to. During the labor, Osaka faced a challenge, and she opened up about it during a recent interview with InStyle.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, who at that point, wasn't an athlete or a successful player, but a regular human bringing another one to life, faced a challenge as she had to deliver the baby fast due to a complication.

"I do remember feeling in that moment, This is the worst pain of my life. And I know that if I get through this, then everything else will feel very easy."

For a professional athlete, becoming a mother changes everything, but it also does for every other person, and that's why Osaka felt differently once she came home with her daughter.

"It was life-changing in a day. From the moment that you come back home from the hospital, everything's different."

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After becoming a parent, Osaka became aware of the struggles that many new parents may face. She was able to choice when she will come back to tennis, but for many, return to work needs to be immediate, as they don't have the choice.

"I’m fortunate to have the support to go back to work on my own terms, in my own time. So many American parents don’t have that choice, but we all deserve it. It has definitely motivated me to speak up about the lack of paid leave and to advocate for new moms in this country."

For Osaka, spending time away for the courts wasn't just a needed mental break, but it also gave her a lot of time to think about her life, and her career, as a professional tennis player.

"I've stepped away from tennis before, but this time, it was the longest duration of my life. And I think it kind of gave me a perspective like, Hey, you're not going to play tennis forever."

"And you kind of have to cherish the years that you can play. I do want to be a good role model for Shai, and I want her to see that this was an important chapter in my life."