Four-time major tournament champion Naomi Osaka is in a new territory, mentally and physically, as she gears up to return to the Australian Open for the first time since the birth of her daughter, Shai. In an exclusive interview with Glamour, Osaka opens up about her challenges postpartum, becoming the face of a new campaign to pass paid leave, and why she’s done worrying about what people think of her.
Read the full piece with Naomi Osaka here.
How experiencing childbirth changed her perspective:
“I feel so strong. People talk about childbirth, but it’s different once you experience it. I just feel like I can do anything and nothing will bother me, and the pain tolerance has definitely increased a lot from that. I just don’t really care about other people’s opinions anymore.”
On the importance of supporting paid leave in America:
“When I heard the stats, I was really shocked. I’m lucky enough to not have to go straight into work, but I really needed that time to process everything that’s happened and, of course, get to know my baby. And to see that there are so many women that don’t have that choice and they have to immediately go straight to work is really sad.”
On being nervous if having a child would affect her career:
“I was extremely nervous. 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.”
On facing the Australian Open as both a tennis champion and mother:
“It seems so far apart from being a mom when I walk on the court. I’ve been playing tennis since I was three, so that’s something that is as normal as breathing for me. But at the same time: 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.”
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