Naomi Osaka has announced that she is pregnant and indicated that she will not be participating in the 2023 tennis season.
The four-time major champion and former world No. 1 made the announcement days after raising questions about her sudden withdrawal from the Australian Open, which she has won twice, on Sunday.
"These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I've dedicated my life to," Osaka tweeted Wednesday, including a picture of an ultrasound.
"I realize that life is so short, and I don't take any moments for granted everyday is a new blessing and adventure," she continued.
"I know that I have much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha. 2023 will be a year that'll be full of lessons for me and I hope I'll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I'll be at [Australian Open] 2024."
Osaka, 25, has been dating rapper Cordae since 2019. A rep confirmed that he is the father in a statement to the Guardian.
Osaka has not played a full match since her first-round loss at the U.S. Open, ESPN reported, noting that she played in just 11 tournaments in 2021 and has not won a title since the 2021 Australian Open.
Osaka famously withdrew from the 2021 French Open to focus on her mental health after she received a $15,000 fine for not attending a press conference to talk to the media after she won a match. She has since been open about her struggles, disclosing that she "suffered long bouts of depression" since capturing her breakthrough title at the 2018 U.S. Open, the Guardian reported.
"I don't think there's a perfectly correct path to take in life but I always felt that if you move forward with good intentions you'll find your way eventually," she added on Wednesday.
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