Osaka's Transition: Bringing Maternal Wisdom to the Court.

Tennis General

Osaka's Transition: Bringing Maternal Wisdom to the Court.

Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka shares that being a mom has been a significant learning experience for her, and she's hoping to apply these newfound skills to find success at the French Open.

The 26-year-old Japanese player Naomi Osaka recently reunited with her 10-month-old daughter Shai in Paris after a five-week separation during the European clay-court swing.

When asked if being a good clay-court player required similar skills as being a mother, Osaka humorously agreed, mentioning that moms do need patience, resilience, and adaptability.

"Being away from her was really tough, but I called her every day," she shared about her time apart from Shai. "I saw how well she was doing and how happy she was, so that made me happy too."

Osaka, who has won all her major titles on hard courts, expressed hope in applying the lessons she's learned through motherhood to her tennis game, especially as she faces the challenge of competing on the Roland Garros clay, where she hasn't gone past the last 32.