Naomi Osaka is pregnant and plans to return to competition in 2024, the tennis star announced Wednesday.
The former world No. 1 , including a picture of an ultrasound.
The 25-year-old Osaka has been dating Cordae, a rapper, for years.
鈥淚 know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,'" Osaka wrote.
Osaka hasn't played a competitive match since September and withdrew from the Australian Open, which begins Sunday. She has won that tournament twice, along with two U.S. Open championships.
She has taken mental health breaks in recent years and didn鈥檛 play again after the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, shortly after falling in the first round of the U.S. Open. Osaka said the few months away have given her 鈥渁 new love and appreciation for the game I鈥檝e dedicated my life to.鈥
, the 2022 Australian Open champion, announced last week she was pregnant. She retired last year while holding the No. 1 ranking.
But Osaka said she will return to tennis and plans to be in Melbourne next year for the start of the Grand Slam season.
鈥2023 will be a year that鈥檒l be full of lessons for me and I hope I鈥檒l see you guys in the start of the next one cause I鈥檒l be at Aus 2024,鈥 Osaka wrote. 鈥淟ove you all infinitely.鈥
Osaka closed by saying she doesn鈥檛 know if there鈥檚 a perfectly correct path in life, but that 鈥渋f you move forward with good intentions you'll find your way eventually.鈥
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