Sloane Stephens delighted to see Naomi Osaka back on court after maternity break

Sloane Stephens has expressed her delight at seeing Naomi Osaka return to the court after a maternity break.

After withdrawing from the 2023 Australian Open, Osaka announced her pregnancy and has since taken a prolonged hiatus from the tour. The Japanese player welcomed her first daughter Shai with her boyfriend Cordae in July.

Osaka has started practicing on hard courts ahead of her long-awaited return to tennis. Taking to social media on Wednesday (October 25), the four-time Grand Slam champion shared glimpses of her practice session.

"one step at a time," Naomi Osaka wrote on Instagram.

In response, Stephens commented:

"we love to see it."

Sloane Stephens' comment under Osaka's Instagram post

Osaka is expected to make her comeback on tour at the upcoming United Cup, as she has already signed up to represent Japan. The hard-court tournament, in its second edition, will commence on December 29, 2023.

Meanwhile, Sloane Stephens was last seen in action at the Guadalajara Open, where she got eliminated in the second round. She defeated Ann Li 7-5, 6-4 in the opener before losing to Emiliana Arango in straight sets.

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Naomi Osaka prepared to keep moving forward despite concerns surrounding motherhood

Naomi Osaka at the 2022 US Open

Naomi Osaka recently expressed concerns surrounding motherhood after giving birth to her daughter Shai. The Japanese talked about her inhibitions and insecurities as she opened up on her journey so far as a new mother.

In an Instagram post, Osaka stated that she has often questioned her past decisions but has eventually built a strong mindset to keep moving forward regardless of the circumstances.

"Randomly I wonder if I’m doing okay; is there a correct path to take in life or have I veered off onto the scenic route for a little bit? However, I’ve now come into the mindset that I can only keep moving forward and everything that will be, will be," Osaka wrote.

Osaka also admitted that she recently had to fight the thought of not being a good mother to Shai.

"Something I had to conquer recently is fighting the thought that I won’t be a good mom. So many doubts raced through my head I had to swat them away like mosquitoes," she continued. "Looking into Shai’s eyes and holding her I always think, ‘wow this little person depends on me so much, I have to do better’. It’s such a strange feeling watching your kid grow, you blink and they’re double the size in a few months."

Naomi Osaka last played on tour at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in September 2022. She withdrew before the second-round encounter against Beatriz Haddad Maia due to illness.