Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka took to social media on Sunday to address pregnancy rumors and the complications she suffered when giving birth. Osaka, 26, touched on the topic in response to a comment someone shared in an initial video.
That individual had asked Osaka if she was expecting her second child and also congratulated her. “I just wanna say, I’m not preggos, but if I was, I wouldn’t want many more because giving birth was traumatic,” she shared on TikTok. “But thank you, though, for your blessings.”
Osaka and rapper Cordae welcomed their first child – a daughter – in July 2023. But Osaka revealed she suffered complications during her pregnancy, and she has been very vocal about it.
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In December 2023, Face2Face Africa reported that the 26-year-old disclosed the challenges of giving birth to her first child, labeling the experience as the most painful moment of her life.
Osaka in an interview with InStyle reflected on the moment, expressing the extreme difficulty she faced during childbirth in the wake of preparation to return to tennis. “I do remember feeling in that moment, this is the worst pain of my life,” she said. “And I know that if I get through this, then everything else will feel very easy.”
She added: “I don’t think people know how hard pregnancy is; no one really talks about it as much. Going into it, you kind of think: ‘Oh, it’s this beautiful journey.’ But it’s kind of rough.”
Osaka noted that she was initially concerned about whether should be a good parent to her child. She admitted that mothers are superheroes. Aside from her achievements on the court, Osaka has also been open about her mental health struggles. Following her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open due to criticism for refusing post-match interviews, she revealed her history of depression.
“I just want people to talk about [mental health] and not feel ashamed,” she said. “Normalize it.”
