Following her run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Naomi Osaka enjoyed a brief break, during which she spent quality time with her three-year-old daughter, Shai. Now back in action at the Mubadala DC Open to kick off her North American hardcourt swing, the former world No. 1 has revealed why she doesn’t have professional tennis aspirations for her daughter.
Why Naomi Osaka Won’t Push Daughter Shai Into Professional Tennis
Osaka welcomed her daughter, Shai, in July 2023 with her then-boyfriend, rapper Cordae. Shai has been immersed in the world of tennis since a young age, recently accompanying the four-time Grand Slam champion to important tournaments, including Wimbledon and the Madrid Open.
Despite her daughter’s exposure to the sport, Osaka has made it clear that she has no intention of pushing her daughter to pursue tennis professionally. During her pre-tournament press conference at the Mubadala DC Open, Osaka revealed that Shai’s experience with tennis has so far been limited to swinging a mini racket around.
“Well, she knows I play tennis. I don’t tell her it’s, like, a professional job or anything, but she knows that’s what I do for work. She has, like, a mini Yonex tennis racquet that she swings around, but she’s actually never gone on the court and played,” Osaka said.
The former world No. 1 emphasized that she would never pressure Shai into becoming a professional tennis player, as she wants her daughter to have the freedom to develop her own passions.
“I don’t think I’d encourage it other than for her to get exercise because I feel like there’s so many things that she’s good at and so many things that she wants to explore. So, yeah, I’ll see what happens in the future,” she added.
Osaka also reflected on how motherhood has changed her perspective, disclosing that she places more importance on being a role model since giving birth to Shai and highlighting how meaningful it is to have young fans looking up to her.
“I think ever since I had my daughter, it means a lot to see young girls and boys looking up to me. I think I take the responsibility really seriously now,” she said. “Obviously role models are really important, and for me, I had a lot of them growing up. It’s because of them that I’m able to be here now.”
“Yeah, it’s really cool to see them having fun, to see them wanting to do the same things that I do. I hope that, you know, the next generation is able to come really quickly and is able to have a lot of fun on tour,” she added.
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On the tennis front, No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka will face either Ashlyn Krueger or Katie Boulter in her opening match at the DC Open, following a first-round bye. If she advances, the Japanese star is set to meet the winner of the match between Emma Navarro and Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the quarterfinals.
