"Watching Allyson Felix grow beyond being an athlete is so incredible": Naomi Osaka on getting parenting tips from the 38-year-old

By Riddhi Acharya

Modified Mar 13, 2024 11:31 GMT

Tennis star and four-time grand slam singles champion Naomi Osaka recently opened up about getting parenting advice from track and field icon Allyson Felix.

Osaka, who is the first Asian player in history to have been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association, gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023. The Japanese will be making a comeback to the sport in January at the Brisbane International 2024.

Meanwhile, Allyson Felix, who owns a whopping 11 Olympics medals, gave birth to her first child in November 2018. Felix was still competing at the time, and returned to international events in July the very next year. She was even crowned World Champion in September of 2019.

Osaka, who will be hoping to make a comeback as successful as Allyson's, has opened up about getting parenting advice from the latter. She told Eurosport:

"For athletic moms, I actually talked to Allyson Felix. She had a lot of really good advice. I talked to her a lot before the birth and then after the birth. I see her and all the incredible things she does. She's paved the way for a lot of us.”

She added:

“She's having her second child too, but just watching her grow even beyond being an athlete, being a business woman I think is so incredible. It's opened my eyes to how strong moms are.”

Allyson Felix on her second pregnancy

Allyson Felix and husband Kenneth Ferguson announced that they are expecting the addition of a baby boy to their family in May next year. According to Felix, this pregnancy has been a very different journey for her.

The last time the decorated sprinter was pregnant, she was still competing on the world's biggest stages. This time around, she doesn't have to follow the same grueling schedules anymore as a retired athlete. She told TMZ:

"It's totally different, I wasn't dealing with all the drama from before. Now, yeah, I don't have to train at 4 o'clock in the morning and do all that crazy stuff so that part is good.”

The 38-year-old is currently a business-owner, heading her own shoe brand named Saysh. Saysh came to life after Felix's clash with Nike, as the brand refused to guarantee salary protection to her when she was pregnant with daughter Camryn. The former sprinter runs Saysh alongside her brother Wes Felix.