Naomi Osaka didn’t feel like she was in her body during her last tennis match due to postpartum changes

“In a weird way, I’ve come to appreciate the losses, you don’t play tennis for 20-plus years without your fair share of them,” Osaka began. “You learn from a loss and then look forward to the next opportunity to test what you’ve learned.”

She continued, “My biggest problem right now isn’t the losses though, the biggest problem is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body,” she continued. “It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t be missing, hitting softer balls than I remember I used to. I try to tell myself ‘it’s good you’re doing great, get over it and keep pushing’, but mentally it’s really draining.”

The 26-year-old athlete welcomed her first child, a daughter, in July 2023. She shares her daughter with boyfriend and rapper Cordae.

The tennis champion added: “Inside I can hear myself screaming ‘what the hell is going on?!?!'”

Osaka admitted that she felt like herself in some matches this year, and the recent loss can also be attributed to the new transitions on the tennis courts. However, she says this loss feels like postpartum.

“That scares (me) because I’ve been playing tennis since I was 3, the tennis racket should feel like an extension of my hand,” she said. “I don’t understand why everything has to look almost new again. This should be as simple as breathing for me, but it isn’t, and I really haven’t given myself grace for that until now.”

It’s important to note that CDC research shows that about 1 in 8 women with a recent birth reported symptoms of postpartum depression, making the condition relatively common.

Despite the challenges, Osaka has no plans to give up. Instead, she hopes to keep moving forward and, in the process, teach her daughter to do the same.

“I love the process (even though the process doesn’t love me sometimes haha), working every day and finally having the opportunity to get where you want to be,” she said. “I know life is not guaranteed so I want to do the best I can with the time I have, I want to teach my daughter that she can achieve so much with hard work and perseverance. I want her to aim for the stars and not think her dreams are too big.”

The tennis player has always been candid about her mental health and also advocates for mental health through her podcast series I can’t wait to hear from you. Osaka plans to play again at the US Open in New York in late August.