Naomi Osaka back in training just days after giving birth to baby girl
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was captured training days after giving birth to her first child with boyfriend Cordae, who is a three-time Grammy-nominated rap artist.
In a video posted on Twitter by Haiti-based media person Wendell Theodore (@wentheodore), the tennis star can be seen doing some version of lateral hurdle jumps on a synthetic race track under a clear sky.
"Naomie 15 days after giving birth," Theodore wrote in his tweet.
Naomie 15 jours après son accouchement pic.twitter.com/wd5lMYJPQl
In the 13-second-long video, the Japanese tennis star walks sideways over eight hurdles on a breezy morning, being constantly cheered by a trainer.
Osaka and Cordae welcomed a baby girl in the first week of July. The rapper confirmed her birth while performing at a concert in Calgary, Canada. He also revealed their daughter's name while on stage.
"My daughter Shai was just born a couple of days ago, so I dedicate this performance to my baby girl Shai,” Cordae spoke on the mic.
The former World No. 1 had revealed her first pregnancy in January this year. She had been out of action after a walkover victory in her first-round match at the Pan Pacific Open against Australia's Daria Saville on September 20, 2022.
The 25-year-old was set to meet Beatriz Haddad Maia from Brazil in the next round on September 22, 2022, but withdrew from the tournament after suddenly falling sick.
"I am really sorry that I am not able to compete today. It’s an honor to be able to play at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in front of amazing fans here in Japan. I wish I could have stepped on the court today, but my body won’t let me," Osaka had said.
Though the 25-year-old had promised to return to Japan for this year's tournament, she is set to be out of court for the entire 2023 season. She, in her pregnancy announcement post, mentioned that she would resume playing at the start of 2024 and compete in the Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka currently ranked World No. 439, her lowest since 2013
Owing to her extended absence from the court, Naomi Osaka has slipped to the 439th spot in the WTA rankings. She was last ranked the same in the first week of December 2013 and finished that year ranked No. 415. The four-time Grand Slam winner started the 2023 season in the 42nd position.
On January 28, 2019, the 25-year-old reached the top spot in the WTA rankings for the first time in her career. Until now, she has spent 25 weeks as the top-ranked female tennis player in the world.