Tennis star Naomi Osaka announced her pregnancy Wednesday, explaining why she withdrew from the Australian Open a few days ago.
Osaka, 25, shared a photo of an ultrasound on Twitter along with notes in Japanese and English, calling it a "little life update for 2023." She told fans that this year will be one "full of lessons" and that she hopes to see everyone at next year's Australian Open.
"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 wrote.
The tournament announced her withdrawal over the weekend without offering an explanation. Osaka has missed a few tournaments in the past year after a 2022 season riddled with injury.
She withdrew from Wimbledon in June because of an injury to an Achilles' heel and forfeited the Toray Pan Pacific Open in September, citing illness.
Osaka addressed her recent absence from the court in her note, saying it helped her realize she shouldn't take any moments for granted.
"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 said, adding that "life is so short."
Formerly ranked No. 1 by the WTA, Osaka won both the Australian and U.S. opens twice from 2018 to 2021. She made headlines in May 2021 when she announced she would not compete at the French Open, citing anxiety over post-match news conferences.
“I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly,” Osaka said at the time. “The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the U.S. Open in 2018, and I have had a really hard time coping with that.”
Osaka returned to the court later that summer for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics to play for Japan. She was knocked out in the third round by Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-4.
Despite the tumultuous year, Osaka finished the 2021 season remaining ranked No. 12 in the world. But after an injury-ridden season, she is No. 47 in the WTA rankings.