Naomi Osaka is reflecting on her “tennis journey” and support from fans as she prepares for her upcoming return to the court.
The four-time Grand Slam singles champion posted a statement to Instagram on Friday thanking her fans for believing in her.
“I know we’ve shared some really amazing memories and I also know that I’ve done some things that I wish I would’ve handled differently (lol),” she wrote. “Regardless of all that, thank you for allowing me to grow up on my own time and thank you for showing me a ton of patience. I don’t know what I did to deserve you all but I’m so extremely grateful.”
She continued, “Very honored to be going on chapter 2 of this tennis journey together and I’m so excited to see you guys next year.”
Osaka hasn’t competed in a tournament since September 2022. She welcomed a baby girl, Shai, with her boyfriend, the rapper Cordae, in July. She is set to make her comeback at the Brisbane International tournament in Australia, which is scheduled to run from Dec. 31 to Jan. 7.
The tennis star recently discussed motherhood in a cover story for InStyle, published Thursday.
She said that she had spent her first weeks of parenthood worrying about whether she was a good enough mother, but said she later realized that moms are “superheroes.”
“But they’re also people,” she added, before reflecting on the sacrifices that her own mother made while raising her and her sister.
“Growing up, I’ve always seen her being so independent and so strong, but now that I’m thinking about it, she must have been really worried all the time,” she told InStyle.
Earlier this year, Osaka had announced plans to compete in the 2024 Australian Open, which is set to begin Jan. 14.
In May, she took to social media to shut down critics who doubted her ability to return to the sport after having a baby.
“Btw to the people that are suddenly concerned about my career — there are plenty of male athletes with kids that are significantly less accomplished, you might wanna worry about them instead,” she wrote on X (then known as Twitter) at the time.