Naomi Osaka Says She No Longer Has ‘Time to Mope’ About Losses Since Welcoming Daughter Shai: ‘World Moves On’

Although she may be disappointed to leave the Australian Open so early, Naomi Osaka has a lot to look forward to when she returns home.

On Tuesday, the tennis pro, 26, shared a statement on Instagram after crashing out of the Open in the first round.

“Writing this on my way home and I have to say I’m extremely grateful,” she began. “I remember last year I wished I had the chance to play at Rod Laver Arena again, and this year it happened so one of my dreams has already come true.”

“However, right now my whole being is so disappointed with my result, the standards I set for myself are so incredibly high,” Osaka continued. “I try to remind myself that I was six months pregnant and I can’t expect amazing results from the jump — it doesn’t really help quell my thoughts too much.”

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Statement by Naomi Osaka.

Naomi Osaka/Instagram

Naomi Osaka Shares First Look at Daughter Shai’s ‘Peaceful and Serene’ Nursery (Exclusive)

“Understanding the importance of time is a skill I’ve improved since having Shai, the things that used to bother me don’t bother me anymore,” she continued, adding that she hopes this new habit will help her cope with the loss. “I don’t have time for that. From that same aspect, I feel that I don’t have time to regret after the defeat, the world goes on and I have to keep walking forward.”

While admitting it was a “bittersweet feeling” to leave so early, Osaka said she was “so happy to be going to see Shai soon. She’s been back and forth lately so I’m relieved to be back home in time to I see the first crawling ❤️.”

Osaka shares her 6-month-old daughter with rapper Cordae.

Earlier this month, the four-time Grand Slam champion unveiled a new video announcing her partnership with Bobbie, a pediatric nutrition company founded by a mother. In the video, she held the baby as her monologue began about the hard work behind her return to tennis.

“You know what makes me tick? You,” she said as the camera panned to Osaka, whose daughter Shai’s name could be seen on a necklace worn by the new mom.

“Parents, we push harder,” Osaka said after the video ended.

In the caption, she wrote: “Being a parent is hard. As a professional athlete, I’m no stranger to hard work or early mornings, but the past 6 months as a new mom has given me a whole new appreciation and understanding of what parents do every day.”

“Parents, especially moms, have historically been told that babies will get in the way of personal goals—that they will stop you from achieving your dreams. But I’ve found that Shai is my ultimate motivator; she makes me want to achieve greatness,” Osaka continued.

“I’m proud of myself for continuing to chase my dreams while also being a mom. And I realize that I’m lucky to have the support to go back to work this month on my own terms, on my own time. So many American parents don’t have that choice. But EVERYONE does we deserve.”

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Source: HIS Education