What Naomi Osaka Has Been Up...

“I think I’m doing pretty well. I’m also just trying not to be too hard on myself.”
By Jenna Ryu
August 23, 2024
Photo of Naomi Osaka
Robert Prange/Getty Images

Who else remembers when then-20-year-old Naomi Osaka defeated the GOAT Serena Williams? That iconic moment from the 2018 US Open was just the start of Osaka’s rise to stardom: Soon after, she became the first Asian woman to be ranked number one in the world, one of the highest-paid female athletes, and a household name.

Since that historic win, the tennis phenom has continued to make headlines: She won the US Open (again!) in 2020. She publicly revealed her struggles with depression and anxiety in 2021—and in doing so, sparked bigger conversations about mental health in sports. She’s also taken breaks to prioritize her physical and emotional well-being and, oh yeah, she’s a mom now, too!

Fast forward to today and the four-time Grand Slam champ is making her comeback as a wild card pick at this year’s US Open. So, what exactly has she been up to since the last time she graced Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2022? Below, we break down Osaka’s latest endeavors and achievements, from her recent career highlights to her transition into motherhood.

She was dealing with a few injuries.
Shortly before her last US Open appearance in 2022, Osaka was plagued by a series of injuries. In June of that year, she skipped Wimbledon due to a lingering problem with her left Achilles tendon. A back injury also caused her to pull out of the Canadian Open in August 2022. “I felt my back from the start of the match, and despite trying my best to push through it, I just wasn’t able to today,” she said afterward, according to the World Tennis Association (WTA).

She still participated in the US Open weeks later but lost in the opening match to Danielle Collins. “Overall, I wouldn’t say I played very well but I tried the hardest with what I could do,” Osaka told reporters in a post-game interview. “I lost in the first round of France, so this year hasn’t really been a great year.”

Naomi Osaka at the 2022 US Open
Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
In the following month, she forfeited from the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo due to sudden abdominal pain. “I am really sorry that I am not able to compete today,” Osaka said in a statement. “I wish I could have stepped on court today, but my body won’t let me.”

She welcomed her first child with rapper Cordae.
Naomi Osaka and Cordae welcomed a child together in 2023
ANGELA WEISS/Getty Images
Just days before last year’s Australian Open, Osaka surprised the world by announcing what would become her 15-month hiatus from professional tennis: That’s because she was expecting her first child with rapper Cordae.

“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,’” Osaka wrote in an Instagram statement at the time. “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.” (She gave birth to a baby girl, Shai, in July 2023.)

She ventured into fashion design.
Off the court, Osaka has been busy channeling her creativity into fashion, turning her sketches into stunning designs for brands like Levi’s and Victoria’s Secret. Her latest collab, which launched in May 2023, was a Nike collection of shorts, skirts, T-shirts, and sweats that blended sport with stylish streetwear.

She’s continued to be a mental health advocate.
As a public figure, Osaka uses her platform to make a difference—especially when it comes to destigmatizing mental health. For one, her production company Hana Kuma launched a mental health video series last year called Can’t Wait to Hear From You (which Osaka herself has guest-hosted). She also joined Michael Phelps and US Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy for an open discussion about topics ranging from loneliness to asking for help.

“Growing up, I was told to tough it out and I was in my head thinking athletes are supposed to stick it out and you’re actually weak if you show your emotions,” she shared during the panel. “But then I got to a place where I needed to ask for help…I have a really good group of people around me, so it was just the process of asking.”

Actually, she’s competed a lot this year.
Naomi Osaka at Brisbane International tournament in 2024
Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Osaka’s long-awaited return to professional tennis came in January at the Brisbane International tournament. It was her first time playing since September 2022; she won her opening match but lost in the second round to Karolína Plíšková. “I was very nervous but it’s really nice to be back and surrounded by a good atmosphere,” Osaka said in a post-game press conference.

In the past year, she’s continued to compete in WTA tournaments, although she hasn’t advanced as far as she used to. The former world number one only reached the third round at the 2024 Indian Wells and Miami Open last March. As she promised, Osaka was also at the Australian Open in January, but she lost in the first round to Caroline Garcia.

“Of course, I have to tell myself, ‘Hey six months ago you were pregnant,’” Osaka told reporters about her defeat. “There’s a voice in my head like, ‘Who are you to think you can come back and immediately start winning matches?’ But I kind of always expect myself to stand a chance anyways, so I guess being nice to myself is a key thing I’ve learned in my time away.”

Naomi Osaka at 2024 Italian Open
Robert Prange/Getty Images
In May, she made it to the fourth round at the Italian Open, taking down superstars like number 10-ranked Daria Kasatkina and number 19 Marta Kostyuk in straight sets before losing to Qinwen Zheng (who, fun fact, won gold at this year’s Olympics).

Osaka snagged her first Grand Slam match win since 2022.
Earlier this summer, Osaka returned to the clay courts at the 2024 French Open, where she scored her first Grand Slam win since the 2022 Australian Open after defeating Lucia Bronzetti. In the second round, she faced off the current world number one Iga Świątek, and despite losing, Osaka called the match one of her most “memorable” and “fun.”

Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek at 2024 French Open
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“I cried when I got off the court, but then I realized I was watching Iga win this tournament last year when I was pregnant, and it was just my dream to be able to play her,” Osaka told reporters. “When I think of it like that, I think I’m doing pretty well. I’m also just trying not to be too hard on myself.”

She also won her first Wimbledon match in six years.
Naomi Osaka at 2024 Wimbledon
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
The tennis star hadn’t played on the iconic grass courts since 2019. (Wimbledon was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic; she withdrew in 2021 for personal reasons, skipped 2022 due to the Achilles injury, and was on maternity leave last year.) This July, though, Osaka made her highly-anticipated return to London.

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Even though she only reached the second round, this year’s championship was particularly special for the new mom. “I know I haven’t played here many times…it’s funny because Wimbledon was the first tournament I watched after pregnancy, and my daughter is turning one tomorrow,” Osaka, who was all smiles, said in a post-match interview. “I’m really trying to stay positive.”

Now, she’s focused on finding her stride again.
As Osaka gears up for her first US Open in two years, she’s been reflecting on her performance—and particularly about the challenges of playing like she used to.

“It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to,” she began in an Instagram post. “I try and tell myself ‘it’s fine you’re doing great, just get through this one and keep pushing’, mentally it’s really draining though. Internally I hear myself screaming ‘what the hell is happening?!?!’”

Still, she acknowledged that she has played a handful of matches this year in which she felt like her old self and said she hopes this rough patch is just a passing phase: “The tennis racket should feel like an extension of my hand. I don’t understand why everything has to feel almost brand new again. This should be as simple as breathing to me but it’s not and I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now,” she continued.

For now though, Osaka’s goal for the US Open (regardless of how far she makes it) is to set a positive example for her daughter. “I want to teach [her] that she can achieve so many things with hard work and perseverance,” she wrote in the post. “I want her to aim for the stars and never think her dreams are too big. Nothing in life is promised but I realized I can promise myself to work as hard as I can and give it my best shot till the very end. See you in New York.”

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