“I’ll see you again in 2024”

On Sunday, Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open, now we also know why. The former world number one will not be playing on the tennis courts for the time being, as she is pregnant.

The 25-year-old tennis star broke the happy news herself. “2023 will be a year full of lessons,” she wrote on Twitter along with a photo of an ultrasound. “I hope to see you again at the start of the new year at the Australian Open 2024.”

Osaka doesn’t say when the baby is due, but she probably won’t act all this year. Pregnancy is a new turning point in the career of the Japanese, who knows many ups and downs.

Osaka won four Grand Slams at a young age and was awarded a great future by those in the know. However, partly due to depression and anxiety attacks, she hasn’t had much success over the past year and a half.

She withdrew from Roland Garros in 2020 because of these mental issues. The tennis star, who moved to the United States with her parents when she was 3, has since failed to perform at her former high level. As a result, she dropped to 47th place in the world rankings.

“The last few years have been very interesting, to put it mildly,” she wrote. “But the hardest times can also be the most fun.”

“In the months I have retired from the sport, I have found a new love and appreciation for tennis. I realize that life is short and I shouldn’t take the good times for granted. Every day is a new gift and a new adventure.”

Osaka therefore hopes to remain among the best tennis players for a long time. “I know there’s a lot to look forward to in the future. One of those things is that there will be a kid in the stands during my games who can then say, ‘Look, my mum is playing’. “