CNN
—
Tennis star Naomi Osaka announced her pregnancy on Wednesday and posted a photo of an ultrasound on her social media accounts.
“The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I feel that the most challenging times in life are perhaps the most fun,” the four-time main champion captioned the photo.
“These few months away from the sport [have] has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game to which I have dedicated my life.”
Osaka said she plans to return to tennis in 2024 for next year’s Australian Open, a tournament she has won twice before.
“I know I have so much to look forward to in the future,” she added. “One thing I look forward to is my kid watching one of my games and saying to someone, ‘that’s my mom.'”
The 25-year-old’s withdrawal from the upcoming Australian Open was announced by the competition’s organizers on Sunday.
Osaka has not played since the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last September.
She took some time away from competitive tennis and made several highly publicized revelations about her struggles with mental health following an incident in August 2021 where she was visibly stressed and emotional as she addressed the media at a mandatory press conference at Roland Garros.
Osaka then withdrew from the French Open that year, revealing that she had “suffered long periods of depression” since winning her first major championship in 2018.
“I don’t think there is a perfectly right path in life, but I’ve always felt that if you move forward with good intentions, eventually you’ll find your way,” Osaka added in her statement on Wednesday.
