Naomi Osaka Officially Becomes A Mom, Welcomes Daughter With BF Cordae
By Fiyin Olowokandi on July 13, 2023 at 10:45 AM EDT
Congratulations are in order as Naomi Osaka becomes the latest mom in town! The superstar athlete just welcomed her first child with boyfriend Cordae.
The Japanese professional tennis player is no stranger in the Sports world, frequently hailed as a G.O.A.T in the women's league. Outside her career, the 25-year-old is famous for activism and raising awareness for causes like the Black Lives Matter movement.
She joined the list of celebrity power couples in 2019 after announcing her relationship with the North Carolina rapper. In January 2023, the Evolve sports agency founder revealed she was expecting a baby with the artist, and now, the duo's bundle of joy has arrived.
Naomi Osaka & Cordae Welcome Baby Girl A Month After Revealing Their First Child's Gender
Since debuting her pregnancy, the biracial athlete has blessed fans with baby updates. However, the new mom has yet to announce the birth of her daughter on social media. Instead, a source confirmed the joyous event to PEOPLE, sharing details about the tennis player's well-being.
According to the insider, the first child of "The Way Champs Play" author and her longtime boyfriend recently arrived in Los Angeles. The informant did not specify the day the newborn was welcomed but revealed how the mother and daughter were doing.
"They are doing well," the source claimed. Aside from Osaka's daughter's birthday, another mystery was the name the lovebirds would choose for their child. Earlier this year, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion opened up about the couple's plan for their baby's moniker.
"We have been discussing names. I would say that we are going for something more unique than traditional," the mother of one shared at the time. During her pregnancy, the 25-year-old also discussed her hopes for the future.
The Glamour Award winner confessed that she wished to be someone her child would admire. "I would say for me, I just want to be the best version of myself," the media personality explained.
"Obviously, I've never been a mother before, so I'm taking it day-by-day and just trying to be someone that my son or daughter will be proud of," the tennis superstar concluded.
At the time, the biracial beauty had not announced her baby's sex. She broke the news the traditional way with a lavish gender reveal in June. The athlete and her boyfriend had a princess-themed baby shower, complete with pink and purple decorations.
As seen in the pictures shared on the Japanese athlete's Instagram page, the event featured several balloons, flowers, and mushrooms on a lawn. The area was enveloped by greenery and more colorful flowers; however, the highlight was the large backdrop that read: "A little princess is on the way!"
Although this post marked the first time the activist had publicly announced the sex of her child, it was not her first time addressing the subject. Back in February, the former world No. 1 ranker confessed she was aware of her baby's gender, but she hid the truth from Cordae.
"I've been preparing, but he doesn't know the gender yet; only I know," Osaka revealed, noting that keeping the secret made it challenging to prepare for her child's arrival.
"So it's not like I can build out the room or anything. So I don't know, [I'm] just kind of winging it. That's kind of the key motto in my life a little," the 25-year-old explained.
The ESPY Award Recipient Slammed Critics For Implying Her Pregnancy Would Affect Her Career
Months before welcoming her first child, Osaka got dragged on social media by people criticizing the future of her tennis career as a mom. The athlete called out these faultfinders on Twitter, defending her baby's influence with a fiery clap back.
“Btw to the people that are suddenly concerned about my career- Plenty of male athletes with kids are significantly less accomplished. You might wanna worry about them instead,” the media personality quipped, informing trolls there was no need to worry about her career.
“Thanks for the concern. Might wanna redirect it to someone that needs it, though,” the biracial superstar concluded. In a second tweet, the 25-year-old stressed that her message was only directed at critics and should not be misinterpreted as a gender stance.
“Not trying to make this a male and female thing, but let’s be fr,” the BET Sportswoman of the Year Award honoree chimed. Naturally, fans supported Osaka's message and warned haters to leave the athlete alone.
