Why Naomi Osaka’s daughter was one of her ‘biggest motivations’ to return to tennis
There has been a growing number of women returning to the WTA Tour after becoming mothers in recent years, with Naomi Osaka among them.
A former world No 1 and a four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka welcomed her daughter Shai — alongside former partner Cordae — in July 2023, and returned to action at the start of 2024.
The Japanese has committed to a busier schedule since her return to tour from maternity leave, and her decision to play more matches is now playing off, with the Japanese surging back into big title contention in 2025.
Here, we look at how Osaka’s daughter and the 27-year-old’s role as a mother have changed her, and provided further motivation across this chapter of her career.
How motherhood is one of Osaka’s ‘biggest motivations’
Osaka is one of the leading players of her generation, spending 25 weeks as the world No 1 and winning Grand Slam titles across four consecutive seasons, from 2018 to 2021.
After missing large chunks of the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to her struggles with mental health, the Japanese announced at the start of 2023 that she and former partner Cordae, a rapper, were expecting their first child.
The pair then welcomed daughter Shai in July 2023, and Osaka made her return to court just six months later at the 2024 Brisbane International.
Osaka has largely kept her daughter’s life private, with few appearances on social media; and, when she does appear, often her face is not pictured.
Tennis News
Meet the tennis billionaire richer than Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal
However, the trailer for her upcoming documentary series, Naomi Osaka: The Second Set, features a handful of clips of Shai.
And, in the trailer, the Japanese revealed how she wanted her return to the sport she loves to act as a “love letter” for mothers in all walks of life.
“I have multiple identities. My return to the sport is a love letter for mums,” said Osaka.
“Some people say she ended my career, but for me, it feels like she started my career. Nothing is ever over, and you’re never out of the game.”
The Japanese’s comeback from maternity leave was rather stop-start for the first 18 months, with Osaka struggling with fitness concerns and being able to get over the line in big matches.
However, her Canadian Open campaign in 2025 saw Osaka reach her first WTA 1000 final in over three years and return to the top 30 of the WTA Rankings.
That propelled Osaka back into contention for the biggest titles in the sport, and the former world No 1 made a high-profile appearance on TODAY ahead of the 2025 US Open.
In a further clip from her upcoming documentary shared on the show, the 27-year-old revealed how Shai was one of her “biggest motivations” to make a return to tennis.
“I want to do well for other mums out there,” said Osaka
“In the past, I feel like I’ve played for different people. Now, I feel like I’m playing for Shai, wanting her to see me play and understanding how big tennis was in my life was one of my biggest motivations coming back.”
Osaka’s 2025 summer resurgence has continued with an impressive run in New York, with the 23rd seed beating Coco Gauff to reach the last eight — her first Grand Slam quarter-final in four years.
It has been business-like on court for the Japanese, though speaking ahead of the tournament, she revealed on TODAY that Shai could well end up watching her in action for the first time.
Osaka commented: “Shai will hopefully go, but it would be her first time at a tennis match. I don’t know how loud she’s going to be.”
Read Next: What are Labubus and why does Naomi Osaka have them at the US Open?
