Naomi Osaka Returns to US Open Semi-Finals For First Time As a Mom

Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka has lifted plenty of trophies, but today she’ll step into the US Open semi-finals for the first time as a mom.

Osaka, who welcomed daughter Shai in July 2023, joked with press after her Wednesday match that organizers had “put the mom” in the final 8:30pm slot—presumably a little past her toddler’s bedtime. Reflecting on her semi-final qualification, she shared that she was “really inspired by all the moms on tour” to push and do more. She admitted, “I have this thing of feeling like I’m not doing good enough, or I’m being left behind. And when all the moms came back and they did well kind of off the bat, I sort of felt like there was something wrong with me.” Now, reaching the semis again Osaka says she feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

Whether she advances to the finals or makes an admirable semi-final stand, Shai’s mom is proud to play in front of her daughter for the first time this week. “I have multiple identities. My return to the sport is a love letter for moms," Osaka said in the trailer of her new documentary, Naomi Osaka: The Second Set. “Some people say she ended my career, but for me, it feels like she started my career.”

This isn’t the first time Osaka has opened up about her return to the court as a mother. In a January 2024 partnership with Bobbie, Osaka spoke about the strength parents bring to the game. “Being a parent is hard. As a professional athlete I am no stranger to hard work or early mornings, but the last six months as a new mom has given me a whole new appreciation and understanding of what parents do every single day,” she said at the time.

“Parents, moms in particular, are historically told that babies will be a barrier to personal goals - that they will stop you from achieving your dreams. But I have discovered that Shai is my ultimate motivator; she makes me want to achieve greatness,” she wrote.