• Former world number one will give up tennis until 2024.
• Osaka has won four Grand Slam singles titles.
• The 25-year-old withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

Naomi Osaka, a former world number one, announced on Wednesday that she is expecting a child and will give up tennis until 2024.

She posted a picture of a pregnancy scan along with the message, “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 my matches and tell someone, “That’s my mom” haha.

“I hope to see you guys at the beginning of the following year because I’ll be back at the Australian Open in 2024. 2023 will be a year full of lessons for me. Love to all of you forever “Added she.

Since September, the 25-year-old Osaka has not played tennis, so her decision to withdraw from the Australian Open, which begins the following week, baffled many observers.

The reason for Osaka’s absence was not revealed until Wednesday.

Her most recent competition was the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September, where the hometown favourite withdrew before her match in the second round due to abdominal pain.

The Japanese player who was the top-ranked player in the world in 2019 and was raised in the US is now ranked number 47 in the world.

With victories at the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and the US Open in 2018 and 2020, Osaka has captured four Grand Slam singles titles.

Forbes named her the world’s highest-earning female athlete for 2022, with reported earnings of $51.1 million.

However, her on-court success did not match her commercial success last year, as she lost in the first round of the French and US Opens and withdrew from Wimbledon due to an Achilles injury.

“I truly have a newfound love and appreciation for the sport I have devoted my entire life to as a result of these few months away from it. I realize how short life is, and I don’t take any moments for granted; every day is a new blessing and adventure “On Wednesday, she issued a statement.

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