Naomi Osaka beams with pride after accomplishing personal milestone she previously thought impossible

Four-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka, celebrated a significant personal achievement she once deemed unattainable. The Japanese player gave birth to her daughter ‘Shai’ in July 2023 and as a result, put on a lot of weight.

Osaka has taken frequent breaks from the sport since September 2021, first due to mental fatigue and later because of pregnancy. In her postpartum journey, she has frequently talked about how pregnancy has impacted her body adversely.

The former World No. 1 has constantly been working on her body to get fit to compete at the highest level. During this period, she opened up about her challenges with weight loss and the pressure to snap back into her athletic body quickly, calling the process ‘disheartening.’

Osaka wrote a playful message on the threads showing her excitement on her weight loss journey.

“lol I fit into my skinny jeans again. Never thought I’d see the day,” she wrote.

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This might be a significant milestone for Osaka as she has been very candid recently about reshaping success in her way. Her journey highlights the importance of mental health and self-care.

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Naomi Osaka recovers from injury and is set to play at the Indian Wells

Naomi Osaka at the BNP Paribas Open 2024 - Source: Getty

Abdominal injury scars have left Naomi Osaka missing out on two occasions this season by mid-match retirements: the ASB Classic and the Australian Open. She retired in the final of the ASB Classic against Clara Tauson despite winning the first set, and she withdrew during her third-round match against Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open.

Osaka bounced back more quickly than expected. Now, she has finally shared through her Instagram handle that she is going to mark her return at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, which begins on March 5.

The 2018 Indian Wells title was the first WTA title won by Osaka, where she defeated Daria Kasatkina in the finals 6-3, 6-2. She defeated many top players on her way to the summit clash. She overcame the top seed, Simona Halep, in the semifinals and even went past notable players like Karolina Pliskova, Maria Sharapova, and others.

The last title won by Osaka was back in 2021 when she triumphed in Australia winning her fourth Grand Slam title defeating America’s Jennifer Brady in straight sets. The former World No. 1 is trying to regain her past glory and showing a lot of promise earlier this season, there are a lot of expectations from her entering this tournament.