Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round of the Wimbledon Championships for the first time since 2018 with a commanding straight-sets victory over Katerina Siniakova. Following her win on Wednesday, Jul. 2, the Japanese star shared a heartfelt message dedicating the victory to her daughter, Shai, on her second birthday.
Naomi Osaka Pens Emotional Message on Daughter Shai’s Birthday Post Wimbledon 2R Win
Osaka took control from the outset, winning the first set 6-3 and riding the momentum to a 6-2 finish in the second to advance to the third round. Her victory over Siniakova marked just the third time in her career that she’s posted back-to-back wins at Wimbledon. It also ended a seven-year wait for a place in the third round at the grass-court major.
The victory also proved to be the perfect birthday gift for Osaka’s daughter, Shai, who turned two that day. The Japanese shared a clip of her triumph on Instagram and wrote:
“Happy Shai day”
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Osaka and her ex-boyfriend, renowned American rapper Cordae, welcomed their daughter Shai in July 2023. She was on an extended pregnancy hiatus at the time and returned to the sport the following year. The four-time Major champion also took to Instagram Threads to express her surprise at how quickly her daughter has grown before her eyes.
“My big girl is 2 years old 🥹 I can’t believe it!” she wrote.
View on Threads
She later shared a similar message on Threads, echoing her Instagram post, to celebrate her daughter’s birthday.
“Happy Shai day”
View on Threads
Notably, Osaka has been making steady progress at SW19 with her adorable daughter by her side.
Naomi Osaka Enters ‘Mom Mode’ As Shai Accompanies Her to Wimbledon
Ahead of her Wimbledon campaign, Osaka revealed that Shai had accompanied her to the tournament and spoke about helping her daughter adapt to the new environment.
“I feel like I’ve entered my mom mode because Shai is here, so I’ve just been getting her used to the jet lag and everything,” Osaka said during her pre-tournament press conference.
The Japanese star later explained that going to bed early was helping them manage jet lag effectively.
“I’ll probably go to sleep at 8:00 p.m. because that’s when she goes to sleep, so I think we both wear each other out, and then bright and early at 7:30 we’ll both wake up,” she said.
Osaka further shared that she was feeling confident ahead of the grass-court Major, having gotten a few matches under her belt in the lead-up. She added:
“I would say I’m feeling pretty good. I was able to play a couple matches on grass so I’m happy about that.”
Osaka will now shift her focus to her third-round clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. It will be their fourth meeting on tour and their first in nearly four years, with Osaka leading the head-to-head 2-1. The winner will go on to face either home favorite Sonay Kartal or Diane Parry in the fourth round.
