Naomi Osaka opens up about parenting daughter Shai with boyfriend Cordae: "He's just an easy-going guy, we respect each other"

Naomi Osaka has opened up about parenting her daughter Shai together with her boyfriend, American rapper Cordae.

Naomi Osaka and Cordae began dating in 2019. In January 2023, Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open and revealed that she was pregnant, and in July 2023, she announced the birth of their daughter, Shai.

In a recent interview with InStyle Magazine, Osaka explained how parenting Shai with her boyfriend, Cordae, has been. She discussed how they navigate disagreements with the primary goal of ensuring the best for their daughter.

"Parenting with Cordae has been easy so far. We built a really good foundation. I don't know if it's because he's just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other's opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out. At the end of the day, we both want what's best for Shai.” - Osaka said

Osaka missed the entire 2023 season, and the last time the Japanese star was seen on the tennis court was at the Toray Pan Pacific Open back in September 2022. Despite Osaka's absence from tennis, she made significant strides off the court. She was listed 5th by Sportico in the ranking of the highest-earning female athletes of 2023, having earned a cumulative $15 million from endorsement deals.

The last trophy Naomi Osaka won was the 2021 Australian Open

2021 Australian Open: Day 13

Naomi Osaka announced her return to tennis after the birth of her daughter, Shai. Since the announcement, she has stepped up her training, and various videos of her hitting the tennis court have emerged, including one where she was training with Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios.

Naomi Osaka has won seven WTA titles throughout her career, including four Grand Slam titles. She will be gunning for more during the 2023 season as she is set to make her return at the Brisbane International, coming up on December 31, 2023.

The Japanese star last won a WTA title at the 2021 Australian Open, where she defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Garcia, Ons Jabeur, and Garbiñe Muguruza in the first, second, third, and fourth rounds, respectively.

Hsieh Su-wei was Osaka's opponent in the quarterfinal, and she defeated the Taiwanese with scores of 6-2, 6-2 to set up an encounter with the 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the semifinal.

Osaka has always spoken about how Serena Williams was one of her biggest inspirations in tennis, but on that day, at the Rod Laver Arena, Osaka faced off against her childhood idol Serena and brought an end to her chase of a 24th Grand Slam singles title at Melbourne. Osaka defeated Williams 6-3, 6-4 to progress to the final of the 2021 Australian Open.

In the final, Naomi Osaka defeated American tennis star Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to clinch the title. It was Osaka's fourth Grand Slam title and her second Australian Open title, having won the title in 2019.