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10th January 2024
05:56pm GMT
Becoming a parent is arguably the most life-changing thing that can happen to a person. That and being named a four-time Grand Slam singles tennis champion, we can assume.
Not even tennis champions like Naomi Osaka are immune to the challenges of motherhood.
In a refreshing omission during an interview with Glamour, the world No. 1 singles champion opened up about the transformative experience of motherhood and all that comes with it.
Naomi and her partner, American rapper Cordae, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Shai, in July 2023.
She described the transition to parenthood in a way that many other mums and dads will relate to: “My world turned into a completely different world in one night.”
Speaking on the experience of childbirth, the athlete says she felt 'so strong' after delivering her baby girl.
“People talk about childbirth, but it’s different once you experience it," she said to the outlet.
"I just feel like I can do anything and nothing will bother me, and the pain tolerance has definitely increased a lot from that. I just don’t really care about other people’s opinions anymore.”
Naomi delved into the feelings surrounding returning to work on the tennis court following the arrival of Shai.
On Sunday (January 14th), she will make her return and play the Australian Open for the first time since 2022.
The professional tennis star played her first elite match postpartum on January 1st and celebrated her first victory as a mum.
However, her second match didn't go her way.
“I’ve trained so hard since giving birth, I need to enjoy these moments,” Naomi said of the loss.
“I feel sad, but the sadness is me being like, ‘Aww, I wish I could have done better, because I know I’m spending so much time away from her [Shai], so I want it to be worth it somehow.’”
As many mums will know, everyone seems to have an opinion when it comes to raising a child, as well as facing pressure to be perfect at the role.
Naomi says she has learned that mums are expected to do' everything and know everything' since becoming parents.
"But I’ve learned that I can put my foot down a lot more now, and I’ve also learned why a lot of moms are very loud and they have strong characters.”
The Grand Slam champion also drew attention to the physical changes that can occur after giving birth, admitting she wasn't informed or prepared for them.
"Having a baby completely destroys your pelvic floor. I was shocked, because I couldn’t get up out of my bed. I had to roll sideways, and it was a really long process because, for me, my immediate way of thinking is: To rebuild this I have to do a lot of sit-ups.
"And I learned that that’s totally not what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to do deep pelvic-floor work.
"I did have a really great team around me that gave me a lot of information. I feel like that’s something that not a lot of people have access to.”
With this in mind, Naomi is also advocating for the Family and Medical Leave Act to be passed in America.
She is using her platform, she says, to highlight the lack of federally paid leave and advocate for new moms in the USA, as 73% of Americans don’t have paid leave through their jobs.
The outlet reports that one in four women in America has returned to work within two weeks of giving birth because of a lack of paid leave.
"When I heard the stats, I was really shocked. I’m lucky enough to not have to go straight into work, but I really needed that time to process everything that’s happened and, of course, get to know my baby.
”And to see that there are so many women that don’t have that choice and they have to immediately go straight to work is really sad.”
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