Naomi Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion, recently shared a deeply emotional revelation about the challenges of balancing motherhood with her tennis career, highlighting the toll it takes on her as she prepares for the 2025 French Open. In an interview reported by Motorcycle Sports on May 20, 2025, Osaka opened up about the heartache of missing precious moments with her daughter, Shai, born in July 2023, due to the demands of the WTA Tour. “Sometimes I feel like I’m missing important moments, so I put extra pressure on myself to win because it feels like it’s all for nothing if I’m not getting the results,” she said, admitting that leaving Shai behind often leaves her in tears. This candid confession underscores the emotional weight she carries as a mother striving to reclaim her place among tennis’s elite.[](https://motorcyclesports.net/naomi-osakas-tearful-revelation-unveils-struggle-between-motherhood-and-tennis-glory/)
Osaka’s 2025 season has been a mix of triumphs and setbacks. She won her first title since becoming a mother at the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 event, defeating Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 on May 4, 2025, marking her first clay-court victory and boosting her ranking to No. 48. However, her clay season hit hurdles, including a first-round loss to Lucia Bronzetti at the Madrid Open and a fourth-round defeat to Peyton Stearns at the Italian Open, where she called her performance “atrocious” on social media. Despite these struggles, Osaka’s resilience shines through, driven by her daughter’s joy and her own determination to compete on clay, a surface where she has historically struggled.[]
Working with coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Osaka has adopted unconventional motivation tactics, keeping her biggest drive—her daughter—private even from him. Her recent comments on X reflect a renewed mindset, with posts like, “Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface I thought was my worst,” showing her growing confidence on clay. As she heads to Roland Garros, Osaka’s emotional journey as a mother and athlete fuels her ambition to overcome her clay-court challenges and add to her Grand Slam legacy.[
