Celebrity

Naomi Osaka Reveals The Sex Of Her First Child With Baby Shower Photos

The tennis star is expecting her first child with boyfriend Cordae.

by Jake Viswanath
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka (R) and US singer Cordae arrive for the 2021 Met Gala at the Metr...
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

Naomi Osaka withdrew from the 2023 Australian Open on Jan. 9 — and now fans know why. On Jan. 11, the tennis star announced she’s pregnant and expecting her first child with boyfriend Cordae. Osaka revealed their upcoming addition by sharing her ultrasound photo on Instagram. “Can’t wait to get back on the court but here’s a little life update for 2023,” she wrote.

Five months later, Osaka shared the sex of her first child, revealing that she and Cordae would be welcoming a baby girl. The athlete shared photos from her baby shower on Instagram, including snapshots showing off her baby bump in front of a purple sign that read, “A little princess is on the way,” surrounded by pink and purple balloons and flowers. Cordae also appears in the slideshow, affectionately kissing her baby bump.

Osaka previously told PEOPLE in February that she knew the sex of her baby, but her boyfriend didn’t want to find out just yet. “I've been preparing, but he doesn't know the gender yet, only I know,” she said. “So it's not like I can build out the room or anything. I don't know, [I'm] just kind of winging it. That's kind of the key motto in my life a little.”

For her pregnancy announcement, Osaka wrote a note in both English and Japanese where she reflected on her recent absence from the tennis world and looked to her future as a mother. “These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to,” she wrote. “Every day is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘That’s my mom,’ haha.”

Osaka ended her letter by revealing her plans to start playing tennis again before the next Australian Open. “2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I’ll be at Aus 2024,” she said. “Love you all infinitely.” She also added a sidenote, encouraging her followers that there is no correct path in life. “If you move forward with good intentions, you’ll find your way eventually,” she wrote.

The Olympian athlete started dating rapper Cordae sometime in 2019 and teased their romance with a selfie on Instagram, without confirming it immediately. The couple has stayed mostly private since, but they still walked the red carpet together at the 2021 Met Gala and make public appearances to support each other. Cordae has been seen in the sidelines at Osaka’s tennis matches, with his adorable reaction to her 2020 U.S. Open win going viral, while she has taken time out of her schedule to go on tour with him.

In a February 2021 interview with GQ, the couple explained how they met — without sharing every detail — and why they prefer to keep their relationship quiet. “We were dating for almost a year before people knew about us,” he said. “So we kind of move very reclusively. We don’t really post intimate moments, because I feel as though they’re sacred. A relationship is really a sacred thing. Once you let outside influences get into it, it becomes less sacred.”

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