Naomi Osaka opens up about body image struggles, pressure to “snap back” after giving birth
Fellow moms including Taylor Townsend and track and field legend Allyson Felix praised the former world No. 1’s vulnerability, after Osaka shut down her season due to injury.
As Naomi Osaka wraps up her first WTA season as a mom, the former world No. 1 opened up about how her changing postpartum figure and the pressure to “snap back” have at times made her feel “ashamed” of her body.
The Japanese player returned to regular action on the tennis tour this year, after giving birth to her first daughter Shai with partner Cordae, a Grammy-nominated rapper, last July. Before stepping back from the game in late 2022, Osaka had racked up 25 weeks at the top of rankings and powered her way to four Grand Slam titles.
Osaka admitted to fighting the “overwhelming urge to ‘snap back’”—referring to the expectation that new moms should be able to quickly bounce back to being their pre-pregnancy self, from reshaping their bodies to settling right back into work or hobbies.
“Seeing other moms seemingly shrink immediately after having their baby was an expectation I began to put on myself,” she continued. “That self-comparison always hurt because I felt as an athlete I should be losing weight quicker than most, I was in the gym every day so that thought didn’t feel too unrealistic.
“Most weeks would feel similar to the previous week, and the weight didn’t disappear overnight so it was a bit disheartening.”
Read More: Naomi Osaka back to training just 15 days after giving birth to daughter
Osaka shared a carousel of photos showing off the evolution of her postpartum figure at various points in her journey. While she initially wanted to caption the post “body changes throughout the year,” she said she ultimately decided to instead say “thank you body for the journey over the past year.”
“To get to the point I’m at now was definitely a journey, an adventure I know that I’m still embracing,” Osaka added. “All bodies are different and I appreciate mine for how it is. My body has done so much for me and adapted so well to the tasks that I’m asking from it, I’m extremely grateful and thankful.”
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Her post struck a chord among fellow moms and athletes, who took to the comments to praise Osaka’s honesty and vulnerability.
“This is so real!” replied WTA world No. 68 Taylor Townsend, who welcomed son Adyn in 2021. “Our bodies are amazing! YOU ARE AMAZING! Keep shining my love.”
Allyson Felix, the most decorated American track and field athlete—who also chronicled her own journey of giving birth to her daughter amid winning 11 Olympic medals—echoed the sentiment: “I definitely can relate to your journey. Thanks for sharing it so others can feel seen.”
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