Naomi Osaka Is Skipping Tennis In 2023 & She Shared The Reason Why With An Ultrasound Pic
"A little life update..."
Naomi Osaka. Right: Naomi Osaka's pregnancy ultrasound.
Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka will be taking the year off to become a mom, and she's getting a ton of praise for her decision to do so.
Osaka revealed that she's pregnant with her first child in an Instagram post on Wednesday, which included a heartfelt note and an ultrasound photo of the baby.
"Can't wait to get back on the court but here's a little life update for 2023," she wrote.
Osaka, 25, recently left everyone baffled after withdrawing from the Australian Open without explanation. She had also taken four months off from the sport before her mystery exit.
She tried to offer some explanation on Wednesday without specifically saying that the pregnancy caused her to pull out.
"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," she wrote in the post, which also went out on Twitter.
She added that she has "so much to look forward to," but one thing she's particularly excited for is playing tennis in front of her child. Osaka wrote that she wants her 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 Aus[tralian Open] 2024."
Osaka also seemed ready for people to criticize the move, as they've come after her in the past for taking time off from the sport for mental health reasons.
"I don't think there's a perfectly correct path to take in life," she wrote. "But I always felt that if you move forward with good intentions you'll find your way eventually."
Hundreds of thousands of people flooded her post with likes after it went up. Celebrities such as Halle Bailey, Jenna Fischer and Johnny Knoxville joined various tennis groups, sponsors and players in wishing her well.
No due date has been revealed at this point.
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