“Five perfect babies. Five strong heartbeats. Five tiny souls who’ve already changed mine.”
Naomi Osaka is opening up about her postpartum recovery two years after welcoming her first child.
The 27-year-old tennis star, who welcomed daughter Shai with ex-boyfriend Cordae in July 2023, per People, has always been open about her struggles with mental health and postpartum depression.
She detailed that journey in her new documentary “Naomi Osaka: The Second Set,” released Aug. 24.
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"Honestly, I also had extremely bad postpartum, and I didn't know how to deal with it that well,” she said in a trailer shared by Tubi on Aug. 21.
Osaka then read an emotional note she wrote to herself after giving birth to Shai and the mixed emotions she experienced in the aftermath as she returned to competition.
"Prior to giving birth, a bunch of different people had told me about postpartum. But truthfully, I had thought that since I was so aware of it, I could somehow avoid the symptoms altogether,” she read.
“But during those early months, I felt like a shell of myself at all moments of the day,” she added.
Osaka clarified that she would never want her daughter “to think that her birth is nothing less than the biggest gift I have ever received,” but still found it important to be open about the symptoms of postpartum she experienced.
"I no longer knew who I was anymore. It felt like everyone else had moved on and they were living in color. Meanwhile, my world was stuck in gray,” she added.
Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion and earned seven career singles titles before turning 24. She hasn’t won on the tour since her fourth major at the 2021 Australian Open, per the WTA.
Her final match before her pregnancy was in September 2022. She marked her return to tennis on Dec. 31, 2023, six months after welcoming Shai.
Osaka's new documentary follows her return to tennis and the motivation she received as a new mom.
Naomi Osaka admits she thought having a child would end her career
In a previous trailer, released Aug. 6, Osaka revealed that “having a family” was her “biggest dream” and described her comeback to tennis as a “love letter for moms.”
“Some people say (Shai) ended my career,” she said in the clip, “but for me, it feels like she started my career.”
While talking to People at a private screening for the documentary on Aug. 19, Osaka admitted that she always thought becoming a mom would be the end of her career.
But rather than retire, Osaka had a change of heart.
"I also wanted my daughter to be able to see me play tennis. It was such a big part of my life and I feel like she doesn't know it, but she definitely inspired me to continue," Osaka told People.
Osaka only waited one week postpartum to return to training — something she credited to her “stubbornness.”
"I feel like I'm going to look back on it and think it's a little crazy,” she said of her quick return, “but in that moment, it didn't seem as wild as it does now."
As for Naomi Osaka’s baby, she told People that she’s the highlight of her day, everyday.
"Just seeing her makes my day brighter," she said of Shai. "She's just such a positive influence in my life."
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Naomi Osaka and Cordae confirmed their relationship in 2019 and were together six years before announcing their amicable split in January, according to People.
