Naomi Osaka's Boyfriend Cordae Reveals Name of Their Baby Girl
Professional tennis player Naomi Osaka has given a name to her new baby girl!
Osaka’s boyfriend, rapper Cordae, revealed his daughter’s moniker during a performance this past weekend. “My daughter Shai was just born a couple days ago, so I dedicate this performance to my baby girl Shai,” he told the audience in between songs. “Love you, I’m going back home.”
Shai, a gender-neutral name of Hebrew origin meaning “gift.” The name, typically pronounced as “shy,” has grown in popularity since 2014, currently ranking in the top 2,500 names for boys.
A source intially confirmed with People that the four-time grand slam champion and her boyfriend Cordae had welcomed their first child together in Los Angeles. “They are doing well,” the source said of Osaka and her newborn daughter.
The mom-to-be shared the news she was expecting a baby girl, posing with her bump on display wearing her recently released line of NO and Nike Apparel in early June. The sign behind her simply read, “A little princess is on the way.”
The 25-year-old shared the first photos of her growing baby bump among the hustle and bustle of Japan on March 25. Sporting a cropped jersey, tie-dye pants and sneakers, Osaka flashed a smile at the camera.
A long-time mental health advocate, Osaka isn’t just bopping around Japan during her time off from tennis. Earlier in March, she announced that she had partnered with Modern Health to create a new guided meditation series for kids. “I’m excited for my child and all children to have access to meditations to help them build healthy habits early. I’m glad that I’m able to help make something like this accessible to kids all over,” she wrote in a post previewing the free meditation series.
The series currently has three installments: one for children 5-7 years old entitled Imagine Your Big Feelings, one for 8-11 year-olds named Talk to Yourself Like a Friend and one for kids 9 and up called Ground Yourself in The Moment.
After taking a few months away from the court in 2022, the Japanese tennis star initially shared her pregnancy news on Instagram on January 11 with the caption, “Can’t wait to get back on the court, but here’s a little life update for 2023.”
The carousel of photos featured an image from Osaka’s ultrasound and a special message written in her notes in English and Japanese. “The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that it’s the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun. These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to,” she wrote.
“I realize that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, every day is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom,’ haha,” Osaka shared.
According to People,, Osaka will share her new addition with her boyfriend and dad-to-be Cordae. The tennis pro and the Grammy-nominated rapper had their first date at an L.A. Clippers game in 2019. Since then Osaka has been vocal about the support she gets from Cordae, thanking him for being by her side during the 2020 U.S. Open.
As for what’s next for the new mom, will most likely continue her hiatus from the game until the end of this year. “2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I’ll be at Aus 2024. Love you all infinitely,” she wrote in her post.
