| Dates: 16-29 January Venue: Melbourne Park |
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4-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has introduced she is pregnant.
“2023 will probably be a 12 months that’ll be full for classes for me,” mentioned Osaka, including that she hopes to return in 2024.
“One factor I’m wanting ahead to is for my child to look at one in all my matches and inform somebody, ‘that is my mother’.”
Osaka gained the final of her 4 Grand Slams on the Australian Open in 2021.
Nonetheless, she has spoken of the issues she has confronted since that memorable title win.
In Could 2021, after pulling out of the French Open, she revealed she had “suffered lengthy bouts of melancholy” ever since successful her first main title, the US Open, in 2018.
In September 2021 she took a five-month break from the game.
She misplaced within the third spherical of the Australian Open on her return, then the primary spherical of the French Open, missed Wimbledon due to damage and misplaced within the opening spherical of the US Open.
Osaka performed final on the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September and has dropped to 47 on the planet rankings.
“The previous few years have been attention-grabbing to say the least, however I discover that it’s the most difficult instances in life that could be probably the most enjoyable,” added Osaka, asserting her being pregnant on social media.
“These few months away from the game have actually given me a brand new love and appreciation for the sport I’ve devoted my life to.
“I realise that life is so brief and I do not take any moments as a right, day by day is a brand new blessing and journey.
“I do know I’ve a lot to look ahead to sooner or later.”
Osaka is the newest high-profile participant to take a break from tennis because of being pregnant.
Germany’s three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber revealed her being pregnant in August, suggesting she is going to return after giving delivery, whereas former world quantity three Elina Svitolina is anticipated to make her comeback this 12 months after giving delivery final October.
Serena Williams took a break to provide delivery in 2017 and returned later the identical 12 months, persevering with to play earlier than retiring in 2022.
