“Freedom for me is spending time with my daughter and seeing joy in her eyes,” Naomi Osaka said in a previous interview with Harper’s Bazaar. Since welcoming her daughter, Shai, in July 2023, Osaka has realized that life’s more than tennis and her on-court goals. She has had a topsy-turvy ride this season with walkovers in the Auckland final and the AO third round, followed by a first-round exit in the Indian Wells, which she called the “worst match” of her career. However, putting all these setbacks aside, Osaka is now cherishing her off-court time with her daughter, Shai.
Reset, restart, and refocus? Well, Naomi Osaka once admitted that she would prioritize motherhood if she fell short of her goals on the tennis court. “I’d rather spend time with my daughter if I’m not where I think I should be and where I feel like I can be.” Well, her goal obviously was to do well in the ‘Sunshine Doubles’, but she failed miserably! So, she has turned her attention to her bundle of joy off the court.
Osaka recently shared a picture on her IG stories, where she gave the fans a glimpse of her colorful drawing on the floor. She drew a rainbow and an asterisk and wrote Shai’s name on top of that. The caption read, “Living my dream life and it’s pretty cool .”
Osaka has often revealed that becoming a mother has prompted her to see life differently. She can now seek joy elsewhere in the midst of a tough run on the court. Shai is providing her the calmness she needs and pushing her mother to pursue greatness yet again in her career.
In January, when Osaka secured her spot in the final of the ASB Classic, she spoke about her routine before the finals. “I’m going to sleep and then I’m going to talk to my daughter.” No matter whether she wins or loses a match, her primary goal now is to be a perfect role model for her daughter. Also for Osaka, “no outside opinions matter“ anymore. What else has she learned after embracing motherhood?
Naomi Osaka’s learnings from motherhood
Naomi Osaka says that becoming a mother has helped her become a better human being and athlete. During an interview with CNN Sports, she admitted, “Becoming a mom, I’ve learned to become a lot more patient and sort of understand that I can’t control everything, but I can only do my best in certain situations and hope that the outcome is positive, but if not, then there’s always another day.” By Osaka’s own admission, one of the main reasons behind her return to the court was to show her daughter that anything could be achieved with strong determination.
Osaka also admitted that she has realized that her world doesn’t have to revolve around herself only. “I guess I’ve just found outer happiness and inner peace.” The Japanese ace can now sense a lot of responsibility with her daughter.
“Understanding the importance of time is a skill I improved on after having Shai. Things that used to bother me don’t bother me anymore. I don’t have time for it. In that same aspect, I feel I don’t have time to mope after losses anymore, the world moves on, and I have to continue to walk forward,” said Osaka in one of her interviews. Not only that, just a few weeks ago, she admitted that she was learning how to say ‘No’ from her daughter as well.
In a video clip shared by WTA on their IG handle, she stated, “Something I recently learned from my daughter, communication and boundaries. She loves the word ‘No.’ So I will ask her if she wants something, she will say ‘No,’ do you want to go here, ‘No,’ do you want some fruit, ‘No.’ So, she knows what she wants.”
Despite her injury woes and her struggles with form recently, these moments bring positivity and joy to Osaka’s life. Don’t you find this superstar mom-daughter duo adorable?
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