"This is the worst pain of my life" - Naomi Osaka opens up about braving through childbirth and adjusting to motherhood

Naomi Osaka has been away from tennis for longer than a year. The Japanese player had stepped away from the sport to focus on her mental health, but extended her sabbatical to accommodate her maternity leave.

Having announced her pregnancy back in January this year, she and boyfriend Cordae welcomed their daughter on July 7, 2023.

Osaka has now come forward to speak candidly about motherhood and complications during her pregnancy in her latest interview with Instyle magazine.

Recalling childbirth, Osaka said it was the “worst” pain that she had ever gone through.

"I was telling herself, whatever happens, happens. It's not something I can control," Naomi Osaka said. “I do remember feeling in that moment, This is the worst pain of my life."

The Japanese said she braved through it, knowing that everything else would feel much easier in comparison going forward.

“And I know that if I get through this, then everything else will feel very easy,” the former World No. 1 added.

Osaka shared that the doctors later revealed that the umbilical cord had been wrapped around her daughter’s neck.

Dubbing it a “life-changing” day, Osaka said she has had to make a number of adjustments to her life since the birth of her daughter.

"In the beginning, there was a huge adjustment period,” Osaka said. “It was life-changing in a day. From the moment that you come back home from the hospital, everything's different.”

---

"It kind of gave me a perspective" - Naomi Osaka on stepping away from tennis for longest period

Osaka at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.

Naomi Osaka also reflected on her time away from the sport, saying it helped her gain a new perspective on life.

The Japanese player said she learnt the importance of “cherishing” the time she had on court.

“I've stepped away from tennis before,” Naomi Osaka said. "But this time, it was the longest duration of my life."

Osaka added that she was looking forward to being a good role model for her daughter.

"And I think it kind of gave me a perspective like, Hey, you're not going to play tennis forever. And you kind of have to cherish the years that you can play," she continued. "I do want to be a good role model for Shai, and I want her to see that this was an important chapter in my life.”

Osaka will make her comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International. She is also slated to participate in the Australian Open using her protected ranking.