Naomi Osaka and her daughter have to be celebrating massive time.
The 27-year-old skilled tennis participant celebrated profitable a second-round match towards Katerina Siniakova at Wimbledon on Wednesday, July 2, by dedicating the large win to her daughter, Shai, for her second birthday.
“Pleased Shai Day,” the 4-time Grand Slam winner captioned a video clip of the second on the court docket.
The win additionally marked the primary time she’s received back-to-back matches at Wimbledon since 2018. The mom of 1 took to her Threads to additional gush about her daughter.
“My massive lady is 2 years previous 🥹 I can’t imagine it!” she wrote.
After saying she was anticipating along with her now ex-partner, rapper Cordae, in January 2023, the tennis phenom welcomed Shai in July 2023. Since welcoming her, the younger mom, who had already established herself as a psychological well being advocate, has not shied away from opening up concerning the balancing act between motherhood and her demanding profession on the court docket. Whether or not it’s discussing postpartum weight reduction or the willpower to get again on the court docket, she has been candid throughout the early phases of motherhood.
“Mothers are superheroes,” she instructed InStyle Journal months after giving beginning. “However they’re additionally folks.”
“I’ve stepped away from tennis earlier than,” she added, “however this time, it was the longest length of my life. And I feel it form of gave me a perspective like, ‘Hey, you’re not going to play tennis endlessly. And also you form of must cherish the years you can play.’ I do need to be position mannequin for Shai, and I need her to see that this was an necessary chapter in my life.”
Osaka has additionally credited Shai with being amongst her greatest sources of inspiration. Throughout an advert marketing campaign advocating for paid household go away, Osaka famous how so many mother and father are instructed kids will “be a barrier” to their targets.
Nonetheless, she stated, “I’ve found that Shai is my final motivator; she makes me need to obtain greatness.”
