Naomi Osaka Reveals She Expected to Retire from Tennis After Giving Birth to Her Daughter (Exclusive)
- - Naomi Osaka Reveals She Expected to Retire from Tennis After Giving Birth to Her Daughter (Exclusive)
Skyler CarusoAugust 22, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Naomi Osaka at a private screening of Tubi's "The Second Set" in New York City in August 2025. -
Naomi Osaka told PEOPLE exclusively about the person who inspired her to continue playing tennis after initially thinking she'd retire following the birth of her daughter, Shai
The professional tennis player discussed her newfound motivation for the game, and how her mindset differs emotionally after giving birth
Osaka spoke with PEOPLE at a private screening for Tubi's The Second Set, which premieres on Aug. 24
Naomi Osaka's tennis career didn't end after giving birth — it was renewed.
The four-time Grand Slam champion opened up to PEOPLE about the unexpected, motivated mindset she had after her first-time pregnancy that changed her perspective on the sport she's played since she was three years old.
"I was one of those people that thought when I had a kid I would stop playing tennis," Osaka, 27, tells PEOPLE exclusively at Tubi's private screening of The Second Set at The Roxy Cinema in New York City on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
In the documentary, the life of the tennis pro is intimately chronicled following the birth of her first child, daughter Shai, whom she welcomed with her ex boyfriend Cordae in July 2023. The film shows the intricate balance between Osaka's return to the court while also navigating motherhood.
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Naomi Osaka with her daughter, Shai.
Rather than retire like she initially had in mind upon welcoming her daughter into the world, Osaka had different plans — and enhanced goals — in mind.
"While I was pregnant, I was kind of very inspired," she shares. "I also wanted my daughter to be able to see me play tennis. It was such a big part of my life and I feel like she doesn't know it, but she definitely inspired me to continue."
One week after she went into labor, Osaka returned to training. Despite the chatter and negativity that surrounded her decision to jump back into the mental and physical intensity that comes with preparing her body to perform at the top level, she was determined.
"I feel like in the back of my head, I was a little stressed, of course, because I really desperately wanted to play and I felt like I had to do whatever it took," she thinks back. "And that's kind of my, I guess, stubbornness."
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Naomi Osaka at the US Open in August 2024.
"But also I've been training since I was a really young kid, so it didn't feel that extreme to me," continues the Japan native. "I feel like I'm going to look back on it and think it's a little crazy — but in that moment, it didn't seem as wild as it does now."
The physical component of her career includes more than just the training — the travel over the course of the lengthy season is often just as taxing, along with the time spent away from her newborn. Life on the WTA Tour includes tournaments in over 20 countries across five continents, including the four Grand Slams — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. She won the US Open in 2018 and 2019, and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2012.
The Second Set pulls the curtain back on the emotional toll her separation from Shai took on the new mom, but also highlighted the solid support system — her own mom, Tamaki Osaka, included — that she has around her.
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Naomi Osaka at a private screening of Tubi's "The Second Set" in New York City.
"Just seeing her makes my day brighter," Osaka says of Shai, adding, "She's just such a positive influence in my life."
While FaceTime calls and in-person meetups to spend quality time with her little one throughout the season got her though, Osaka tells PEOPLE that her support system spanned beyond her inner circle.
"Who's been especially helpful? Honestly, I would say other moms," she shares. "I think when I became a mom, I realized how many moms I knew and how they were so quick to reach out and offer advice and help."
Tubi's documentary, directed by Kat Jayme, was penned as a "love letter" to Osaka's daughter, but also a love letter to other moms, too. At it's core, the film dials in on the tennis pro's "new adventure," rather than a "comeback" to the sport.
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Naomi Osaka with her daughter, Shai.
Today, Osaka is in a new era — both professionally and personally — with a new perspective on the game.
"For me, what feels most different is my relationship with tennis and also my emotions going into it," she says. "I think when I was younger, I'd put so much pressure on myself, and now I kind of see it as a joy and a privilege to play."
"And also, I don't know, you never know when I guess your time is up and not in a negative way, but I'm really grateful to be healthy, to be able to swing a tennis racket," she adds.
Now, Osaka looks ahead to her US Open return when the tournament kicks off in N.Y.C. on Aug. 24, and she teases the possibility that Shai will make her debut appearance to cheer her mom on at a match this year.
"For me, it would be a very full-circle moment," she says of having her daughter in the arena where she won two of her four Grand Slams. "It would definitely mean a lot... I wouldn't see her while I'm playing, but I would feel her energy."
Osaka adds, "I hope that I wouldn't cry on court."
Naomi Osaka: The Second Set releases on Tubi on Sunday, Aug. 24.
on People
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