Naomi Osaka’s return to the tennis court was a winding journey after her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter, Shai. The tennis great explained how she felt apprehension about having a child and taking time off because of the implications it could have on her career and her sponsorship deals.
“I was extremely nervous,” Osaka told Glamour. “I felt like I was stepping into the unknown, and I also felt like the last few years of my career were kind of sporadic too. So I didn’t even know if my sponsors wanted to take up the energy to go through this with me.
“But I’m really happy that I chose people around me that understand me and we’re going through this adventure together. I guess the biggest elephant in the room is Nike, but they’ve been so extremely helpful.”
The reason why Osaka brought up Nike as one of the main factors that she had to think about was because of Olympian Allyson Felix’s experience with the sporting giant. When Felix – the most decorated female track and fielder – told Nike of her intention to combine her athletic career with starting a family, Nike wanted to pay her 70 percent less.
After public outcry, Nike reversed its stance and announced a maternity policy for their sponsored athletes. “If [an athlete] becomes pregnant, NIKE may not apply any performance-related reductions (if any) for a consecutive period of 18 months, beginning eight months prior to [the athlete’s] due date,” Nike Executive Vice President of Global Sports Marketing John Slusher said in a letter in 2019.
With Nike’s support, Osaka has been able to take her time with her pregnancy and do what she needed to do as a mother, without having to worry about the implications of taking time off to be with her newborn daughter. During Osaka’s recovery period, Felix reached out to Osaka numerous times to check in with her.
Osaka said that being able to speak to one of the most decorated athletes of all time, who also shared a similar experience to her, was “really nice” because it felt like she was thought about. With Osaka not having to worry about getting paid less for having a family, she could focus on her passion aside from her family: Tennis.
“It seems so far apart from being a mom when I walk on the court,” Osaka continued. “I’ve been playing tennis since I was three, so that’s something that is as normal as breathing for me.
“I often worry about if I’m a good mom, but at the end of the day, I realize Shai is my daughter. There’s nothing I could do or I want to do that’s going to change that, and I just want to be a good role model for her and I want her to be proud of me.”
With any fears about the birth of her daughter or sponsorship away from the forefront of her mind, it appears as if Osaka can just focus on getting back to her winning ways, especially after being off the court for so long. The four-time Grand Slam champion will be playing in the Australian Open for the first time since 2022, after having won the tournament in 2019 and 2021.
She started 2024 with a bang, beating Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 7-6 in the Round of 64 at the Brisbane International. However, Osaka fell to No. 37-ranked Karolina Pliskova in the Round of 32, ending her run short.
At the Australian Open, Osaka is hoping to recapture the glory she had three years ago. But it will be difficult to predict how the 26-year-old will perform, especially since she did not compete at all in 2023.
Still, fans can expect a more focused and determined Osaka, now that her worries are out of her mind and with a support system cheering her on every step of the way.
