Naomi Osaka is pregnant with her first child, she revealed Wednesday via social media.

“Can’t wait to get back on the court, but here’s a little life update for 2023,” she wrote, along with a photo of an ultrasound and a note to her fans in English and Japanese.

The 25-year-old tennis star aims to return to the court for the 2024 Australian Open, she said in the note.

The Australian Open last week had announced Osaka’s withdrawal from the 2023 tournament, which starts Monday. Osaka has won the tournament twice, in 2019 and 2021.

The four-time major singles champion last played in September at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Osaka won her first match against Daria Saville, who retired due to injury during the first set, but withdrew ahead of her second-round match due to abdominal pain.

“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 Wednesday.

The No. 47 player in the world, Osaka has not advanced past the first round in her last three tournaments, including the U.S. Open in August.

Still, her business ventures are booming. She topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world with $51.1 million in earnings in 2022. To start 2023, she signed world No. 2 Ons Jabeur to her sports management agency, Evolve.

“I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future,” Osaka wrote. “One thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch some of my matches and tell someone, ‘That’s my mom.'”

Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open, it was announced on Saturday.

Tournament organizers confirmed her withdrawal in a tweet on Sunday.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Australian Open champion, has not played in a tournament since September. She withdrew during the second round of a Tokyo tournament after winning her first-round match.

The 25-year-old currently sits at No. 47 in the world and has not advanced past the first round in each of her three previous tournaments, including the US Open.

Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska has been called up to the main draw in her place.

Her absence adds to what is a growing list of leading players to pull out of the tournament. Former finalist Simona Halep will not play while Venus Williams had to pull out with an injury after receiving a wild card.

Ons Jabeur is joining Evolve, the sports management agency founded by Naomi Osaka.

“New year, new beginnings,” Jabeur tweeted along with a photo of the release announcing her signing. The Tunisian star, who reached her first two major finals last year at Wimbledon and the US Open, has also signed with Adel Aref for representation.

“It’s nice to sign with someone who knows my culture,” Jabeur told WTA Insider about signing with Aref, who is also from Tunisia.

“I feel like it’s something that could be great because I don’t have the same profile as Naomi, but also maybe a little bit,” Jabeur continued. “She’s the only one coming from Japan, and I’m the only one coming from the Middle East. I want to explore that and give them a chance to work with Adel.”

Osaka took to social media herself to welcome Jabeur to Evolve. She first met Jabeur in 2015, and she remembers thinking, “She’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

“She always came up to me, cracked jokes and made me feel more comfortable,” Osaka continued. “Even now when we play the same tournaments she still does the same.

“That type of kindness is something I’ll never forget and I think moments like that are what define your character. Over the years, watching her rise through the tour and become the star that she is has been incredibly joyful to watch and I can’t wait to see her create more history and ascend even higher.”

Osaka launched Evolve in 2022, with the hope of drawing in athletes who are at the top – or have the potential to be at the top – of their sport. She left IMG in May after her contract expired and became the first female athlete to launch her own agency, Sportico reported at the time.

Naomi Osaka once again tops the list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world, bringing in $51.1 million in 2022, according to Forbes.

She’s followed by Serena Williams, who earned $41.3 million. Eileen Gu, who gained popularity following her performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, brought in $20.1 million, which included $20 million in endorsements.

In total, the 25 highest-paid female athletes in the world made roughly $285 million this year before taxes and agents’ fees. The top 10 of those athletes made up for $194 million of that total, a 17 percent increase from 2021.

Eight of the 10 made at least $10 million in 2022 for the first time since Forbes introduced the rankings in 2008. That number also doubled from a year ago.

“I think everybody’s seeing a tremendous amount of momentum with women’s sports and women’s sports sponsorships,” Cameron Wagner, Chief Client Officer of Elevate Sports Ventures, told Forbes. “We’ve made a ton of progress. We have a ton of progress left to be made, but brands are starting to see the value in women’s sports here and today as a driver of their business.”

The year brought increases across women’s sports, including for England’s players following their Euros win. The Athletic recently detailed how their endorsement deals have skyrocketed in the months following the title.

Women’s soccer sponsorships have also increased. FIFA recently released a report detailing how 77 percent of women’s soccer leagues had a title sponsor in 2022, an increase from 66 percent in 2021.

While tennis players still make up the majority of the top 10, golfers have also increased their earnings after the LPGA introduced record tournament purses. That should only increase in the coming year as the tour stands to break records once again with its offerings.

The top 10

  1. Naomi Osaka, Tennis – $51.1 mil
  2. Serena Williams, Tennis – $41.3 mil
  3. Eileen Gu, Freestyle Skiing – $20.1 mil
  4. Emma Raducanu, Tennis – $18.7 mil
  5. Iga Swiatek, Tennis – $14.9 mil
  6. Venus Williams, Tennis – $12.1 mil
  7. Coco Gauff, Tennis – $11.1 mil
  8. Simone Biles, Gymnastics – $10 mil
  9. Jessica Pegula, Tennis – $7.6 mil
  10. Minjee Lee, Golf – $7.3 mil

Naomi Osaka comes in as the highest-paid female athlete in 2022, followed by fellow tennis star Serena Williams, per Sportico. They’re the only women to crack the overall top 100.

While Sportico took into account both players’ on-court winnings, they topped the list for women’s sports thanks to their endorsement deals. Osaka made $53.2 million overall, with $52 million from endorsements, while Williams made $35.3 million overall, with $35 million from endorsements, according to Sportico.

While Simone Biles came in third last year at $6 million, she was fifth this year despite increasing her earning her total to $9 million.

Ahead of the gymnast were British tennis player Emma Raducanu ($26.2 million) and American-born Chinese skier Eileen Gu ($23.1 million). That Raducanu and Gu started to close the gap between the top two and the rest of the list helps showcase the increasing profile and popularity of women’s sports.

Tennis players dominated the top 10, making up seven of the top 10 highest earners in women’s sports. Iga Swiatek ($8.1 million) came in at No. 7, followed by Coco Gauff ($7.7 million), Ashleigh Barty ($7.6 million) and Leylah Fernandez ($6.4 million) to round out the top 10.

Gu, Biles and golfer Jin Young Ko ($8.3 million) were the only non-tennis players in the top 10.

Alex Morgan, who led women’s sports in endorsement deals in 2022, tied with her USWNT teammate Megan Rapinoe at No. 11 on Sportico’s list. Each player made $5.9 million in 2022, per Sportico. No other soccer players were included in the top 15.

Women’s athletes are often considered trailblazers for a reason, redefining their teams, leagues, games and cultures as they shift the boundaries of sport.

For every wunderkind, there is an athlete who inspired their greatness or transformed their notion of what is possible. The ’99ers galvanized a generation of American women’s soccer players, Billie Jean King changed the face of women’s tennis and Lisa Leslie motivated aspiring ballers.

Just as those iconic teams and athletes set an example for those who came after them, competitors today are making an imprint on the next generation in women’s sports.

As part of Nike’s 50th anniversary, the company is celebrating the last 50 years of women in sport and looking ahead to the next 50. From making an investment in the WNBA to creating the Nike Athlete Think Tank, Nike has been committed to amplifying and supporting women’s sports. In honor of their historic anniversary, Nike is shining a light on athletes who are inspiring the next generation and shifting the landscape of women’s sports.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka, U.S. national soccer team icon Megan Rapinoe and basketball phenom Sabrina Ionescu have all pushed the limits of their sports while changing the culture that surrounds the women’s game.

Perhaps no professional athlete has done that more in recent history than Osaka. With her candor and resilience, she has not only instigated a conversation around mental health but also challenged what is expected of elite tennis players on the court.

Osaka burst onto the scene at just 20 years old in her own pass-the-baton moment, defeating Serena Williams in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title at the 2018 U.S. Open. The final, which was filled with controversy as Williams and the chair umpire clashed, served as something of a changing of the guard.

Tears filled Osaka’s eyes during the trophy presentation as boos from the crowd rang out. With Osaka’s win, the fans were denied the opportunity to witness Williams tie Margaret Court’s Grand Slam singles title record. To make matters more complicated, Williams had been Osaka’s idol since she was a child.

From there, Osaka took the tennis world by storm, inspiring a group of young players herself. A year after catapulting to fame at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Osaka was featured in another matchup billed as an established star taking on an up-and-coming prodigy in 15-year-old Coco Gauff.

Osaka came out on top, halting Gauff’s first U.S. Open singles run in dominant fashion. Gauff, overwhelmed by the weight of the moment, appeared emotional as tears fell from her eyes after the match. Having been on the other side of this very scenario, Osaka comforted the teen.

“After the match, I think she proved she’s a true athlete. For me, the definition of an athlete is someone who on the court treats you like their worst enemy, but after they treat you like you’re their best friend. And I think that’s what she did today,” Gauff said of Osaka in 2019.

Since those runs at the U.S. Open, Osaka has continued to redefine the sport, taking a step back from the court in 2021 to focus on her mental health while being vocal about the impact of post-match press conferences on her well-being. As Osaka returns to the tour on a more consistent basis, her peers have applauded her bravery and revered her as a leader.

Iga Świątek, who at 20 years old has ascended to the top of the WTA rankings, defeated Osaka in the Miami Open final in April and praised her afterward.

“When I watched you win the U.S. Open (in 2018), I wouldn’t have even thought I’d be playing versus you. You’re an inspiration. This sport is better with you,” Świątek said.

Osaka’s candor surrounding the expectations of fame and pressure to perform has resonated with athletes outside of tennis as well. Nelly Korda, a 23-year-old golf sensation, told Sportskeeda in 2021 that she looked up to Osaka when checking in on her own mental health.

“You also learn from, like, other people, I mean like Naomi Osaka,” Korda said. “You don’t even know what is gonna happen with the girl that just won the U.S. Open. She has all this fame, and you don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know, a prime example is Osaka. Has she just shot up into stardom, and it’s super hard for her.”

Rising above the criticisms and challenges of her sports celebrity, Osaka has helped to destigmatize mental health by bringing attention to it in sports and beyond. An established talent on the court and cultural icon off of it, Osaka is the definition of a generational figure.

Twelve years Osaka’s senior, Megan Rapinoe has similarly altered the blueprint for athlete activism, fighting for gender and racial equality while earning the distinction as the best footballer in the world.

The California native and two-time World Cup winner has scored 62 goals in her 187 appearances with the USWNT. Leading the team in goals at the 2019 World Cup, Rapinoe has made her mark on the pitch and spearheaded the the players’ fight for equal pay off of it.

Playing for the NWSL’s Seattle franchise since 2013, Rapinoe has been a consistent leader for club and country. Bethany Balcer, one of OL Reign’s most explosive strikers, credits Rapinoe with helping her adapt to professional soccer.

“I think Megan Rapinoe has been one of those players. I definitely look to the forward line a lot,” Balcer told Goal. “And so just making sure I am understanding what the game plan is when I was to go into the games. Whether I am playing the nine or the winger, just learning from them, taking their advice.”

Rapinoe’s outspokenness and authenticity have placed her at the center of the intersection between sports and politics, a role she has embraced. Advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and racial equality, while pushing the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay, Rapinoe has won herself a legion of young fans and empowered players who’ve come after her.

“In so many ways, you’re the go-to person for current topics and politics issues,” teammate Sam Mewis told Rapinoe on the Just Women’s Sports Snacks Podcast. “I would look to you actually for a lot of things before I was comfortable to speak out myself because I feel like I trust your values, and I trust what you stand for.”

On a team that emphasizes the importance of leaving the squad better than you’ve found it, Rapinoe embodies the USWNT’s progressive ethos.

Teammate and fellow striker Lynn Williams remembers looking up to Rapinoe as a kid before ever sharing the pitch with her.

“Megan has always been an inspiration to me. As a kid, I would be amazed at her poise on the field and how she would always show up in big moments,” Williams told Just Women’s Sports.

“As I have gotten to know her on a personal level, I am in awe of her. She is authentically herself on and off the field. She doesn’t apologize for who she is, and more importantly her energy and positivity inspires me and many others to be authentically ourselves as well. With her, there is no ‘it’s me or it’s you’ mentality. With her, there’s a seat at the table for everyone.”

At just 24 years old, Sabrina Ionescu is one of the most undeniably talented guards in women’s basketball.

At Oregon, Ionescu garnered national fame after becoming the only NCAA Division I player ever to amass 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in her career. Simply put, the California native changed college basketball through sheer talent.

Former Oregon teammate and current WNBA rival Ruthy Hebard explained to WSLAM in 2020 how the duo achieved so much success on offense.

“Playing with Sabrina, it was like, I don’t want to mess this up for her either. It’s really just about being strong and focusing on what I want to do and where I want to do it,” Hebard said.

Competing against Ionescu was equally as daunting, with current New York Liberty teammate Didi Richards recalling her head-to-head matchup with the star in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

“Back then, being a sophomore, first year in the Final Four, I was nervous going against the best player, some would say, men’s and women’s. I was real nervous,” said Richards, then a guard for Baylor. “I knew I had to guard her. It was exciting. I think that was one of the games that put me on the map for sure. She’s a great player. She hit some crazy shots on me.”

Ionescu’s Oregon teammates praised her work ethic and game preparation. Former Ducks star and current Liberty teammate Nyara Sabally is anxious to reunite with Ionescu in New York. The No. 5 pick in this year’s draft will miss her rookie season while recovering from knee surgery.

“I’m thrilled that I get to share the court with [Ionescu],” Sabally said after the draft. “Obviously, ‘Sab’ is such an amazing point guard, such an amazing person. I saw her in practice every day. I saw her working every day on the court. I’m just very excited to finally share the court with her, not just in practice.”

Since her college days, Ionescu has expertly leveraged her on-court success and widespread fame. Now in her third season with the Liberty, she has inked several blockbuster deals, including a partnership with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures.

Ionescu’s foray into business resembles that of Osaka. After meeting on the set of an ad campaign, the two have become fast friends, with Ionescu telling Insider that she “ was always a huge fan of Naomi” before the shoot.

Osaka has been seen practicing in a Ionescu Liberty jersey, and Ionescu is eager to show her support for the tennis star.

“I watch her matches and cheer her on and we talk, whether it’s on social media or text here and there,” Ionescu added. “But I think [we’re] always supporting each other and just rooting for each other and hoping for the best and success.”

Ionescu’s game-changing collegiate career and impressive business portfolio have expanded the possibilities for athletes in women’s sports, on and off the court.

Clare Brennan is an Associate Editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Iga Swiatek continued her stunning run Saturday, defeating Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-0 to clinch the Miami Open title.

With the win, Swiatek becomes the fourth woman in history to claim the “Sunshine Double,” reserved for the players who win at Indian Wells and Miami in the same season. At 20 years old, Swiatek is the youngest player to achieve the feat, joining a group that includes Stefanie Graf, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka.

Swiatek has now won three consecutive titles, including her win at Doha in February. Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki are the only other players to win three or more straight WTA 1000 titles in a single season.

Defeating Osaka in one hour and 17 minutes, Swiatek won 73 percent of her first-service points while cutting down on unforced errors to maintain the lead. After a back-and-forth first set, the Polish star blanked Osaka in the second.

With the win, Swiatek extended her winning streak to 17 matches and is set to become the world No. 1 for the first time in her career on Monday.

Naomi Osaka mounted a comeback victory over No. 22 Belinda Bencic on Thursday, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the Miami Open final. It’s her first championship final since the former world No. 1 won the Australian Open in 2021.

It’s also Osaka’s fourth career WTA 1000 final and her first in over a year.

“In the second set I just told myself, ‘Listen, if she beats you, someone is going to have to carry you off the court in a stretcher, because you’re going to fight for everything,'” Osaka said. “I think I just got opportunities and I was able to see them as opportunities. So I was able to push myself through it.

“I’m honestly glad that this was such a tough match, because I feel like you need that learning experience, and I learned a lot from today.”

On Twitter, she said that she’s “just so grateful right now.”

“Cheers to the ups and downs of life for making me appreciate this moment even more,” she wrote.

Osaka fired off 18 aces in the win, the most of any player on Tour so far this season.

After dropping the first set, Osaka began to find her groove, firing off 16 winners compared to just seven unforced errors in the second set. In the third, she forced a break to go up 3-2 and didn’t look back, taking the set 6-4.

With a current world ranking of No. 77, Osaka becomes the lowest-ranked Miami Open finalist, breaking a record previously held by Kim Clijsters, who won the title in 2005 while ranked at No. 38 in the world.

Osaka, who is projected to rise up to No. 36 in next week’s rankings, could return to the Top 30 with the title. She’ll go up against projected world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who has won 16 straight matches.

Swiatek took care of No. 16 Jessica Pegula on Thursday in a straight-set win, 6-2, 7-5.

Naomi Osaka is into her first Miami Open semifinal after defeating Danielle Collins 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

She is just the second Japanese woman to reach the semifinals at Miami after Kimiko Date Krumm in 1993 and 1995.

It’s Osaka’s 18th career semifinal.

In 60 minutes, Osaka rolled through her service games and handled Collins, continuing her theme of not dropping a set in the Miami Open. She fired 13 aces and did not face break point once in the match. It was the most aces Osaka has fired off in the last two seasons save for her match against Leylah Fernandez in the US Open, when she fired off 15.

On top of her ace count, Osaka hit 25 winners to a mere three unforced errors, overpowering Collins’ 18 winners and 16 unforced errors.

“After Australia, I was training really hard every day,” Osaka told reporters after the match. “I went to Indian Wells with the intention to do really well, and then I didn’t. But Wim told me, Listen, you’re playing really well. But it’s hard to listen to someone tell you you’re playing well without having the results to back it up.

“I’m glad that, in a way, I don’t have a good ranking, because I’m able to play the matches that I need to play. I feel like I’m the type of person that plays better with more matches, so actually having back-to-back matches benefits me a lot.”

Osaka will next face defending Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, who she has yet to beat in a Tour-level match. Similar to Osaka, the No. 22 seed has not lost a set yet in the tournament, taking down Daria Saville 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

Their last meeting came at the 2019 US Open, which Bencic won 7-5, 6-4.

Naomi Osaka is back into the quarterfinals at the Miami Open following a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alison Riske in the Round of 16. It’s her second straight quarterfinal run at the tournament. Last year, Osaka lost to Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals, which snapped her 23-match winning streak.

Against Riske, Osaka hit a total of 40 winners in the match en route to the win.

“It’s really funny for me, because last year here I made it to the quarters, too,” Osaka said. “It was after I won Australia and I wasn’t that grateful. I kind of expected to win.”

This year, however, has been different. After a year of trials that resulted in Osaka stepping away from the game, citing mental health, she’s taking a new approach to the game – something that she has frequently vocalized.

“This is really one of the funnest times of my life,” Osaka said. “I’m really grateful.”

She’ll next face Danielle Collins, who took down No. 8 Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-4, likely securing a top 10 spot in the world rankings. No. 2 Iga Swiatek took an easy 6-3, 6-1 win over Coco Gauff, saying she was in a “good zone.”

“I was really focused,” Swiatek said of the match. “Sometimes I have these kind of moments where I don’t even know what the score is. That’s nice, because you’re just focusing on tennis and tactics and technique.”

With three match wins under her belt, Swiatek has now won 14 matches in a row, which leads the Tour this season. She is also on track to become just the fourth player in WTA history to win at both Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. Stefanie Graf, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka are the three who currently hold the designation.

Also in Miami, Azarenka abruptly left the court on Sunday during her match with Czech player Linda Fruhvirtova despite leading 6-2, 3-0. In a later statement, Azarenka cited stress as her reasoning for leaving the tournament.

“I shouldn’t have gone on the court today,” she said. “The last few weeks have been extremely stressful in my personal life. Last match took so much out of me, but I wanted to play in front of a great audience as they helped me pull through my first match.

“I wanted to go out there and try but it was a mistake.”

A Belarus native, sanctions imposed on both Belarus and Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine have prevented the two-time Grand Slam champion from playing on Tour with the name or flag of her country. At Indian Wells, she broke down in tears during her loss to Elena Rybakina.

Also in the statement, Azarenka revealed that she intends to take a break “and be able to come back.”

“I always look forward to the challenge and pressure of competition but today it was too much,” she continued. “I have to and will learn from this.”