Naomi Osaka shares the ‘disheartening’ struggle of postpartum weight loss

Since welcoming their daughter Shai in July 2023, Naomi Osaka revealed she’s sometimes felt “really ashamed” of her body. 

Naomi Osaka is reminding people that postpartum looks and feels different for everyone. In July 2023, Osaka gave birth to her first child, Shai, whom she shares with rapper Cordae. Though she has since spoken out about the confidence motherhood unlocked within her, the tennis star recently shared some of the struggles that have come with postpartum. This weekend, Osaka opened up about the ways in which giving birth changed her relationship with her body in an Instagram post documenting her “body changes throughout the year.”

“There were moments this year where I felt really ashamed of my body,” she captioned the photo carousel. “I was also constantly struggling with this overwhelming urge to ‘snapback’, seeing other moms seemingly shrink immediately after having their baby was an expectation I began to put on myself.” 

For Osaka, her physical transformation represents more than just the “snapback” that typically refers to how quickly women’s bodies can recover or revert to their pre-baby state. The three-time Grand Slam champion explained how “self-comparison” hurt her, as well as feeling extra pressure to shed weight as an athlete. 

“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,” she continued. 

Since taking a hiatus and giving birth, Osaka has been giving her followers snippets of her journey back to tennis. She previously shared the physical disconnect she experienced while returning to the sport. 

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“My biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body. It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to,” she said, as previously reported by theGrio. “The only feeling I could liken how I feel right now to is being postpartum. That scares [me] because I’ve been playing tennis since I was 3; the tennis racquet should feel like an extension of my hand. I don’t understand why everything has to feel almost brand new again.” 

Despite the changes and adjustments, the tennis pro says she’s embracing the postpartum “adventure,” emphasizing her appreciation for her body. 

“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,” she added. “If I had to title this post it would be super long and go like, ‘Thank you body for the journey over the past year, I’m excited to learn more about what you’re capable of in the years to come.’”

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