Naomi Osaka Says She Was 'Ashamed' and Pressured to 'Snap Back' in Post-Birth Weight Loss Journey

While four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka stays active for a living, the tennis star experienced post-pregnancy weight loss challenges.

Last July, the 27-year-old welcomed her daughter, Shai, whom she shares with rapper Cordae. But while Osaka has admittedly faced some struggles as a first-time mother, it was just as difficult for her to regain post-baby body confidence. On Sunday (Oct. 27), Osaka shared an Instagram carousel with pictures during her pregnancy and slimming down, alongside a lengthy caption about her thoughts around "body changes" after giving birth.

"Honestly I don’t know what to caption this post. I wanted to say “body changes throughout the year” but it actually means a lot more to me than that," Osaka began.

She continued with writing that there were times in 2024 that she was "really ashamed" of her physique, particularly when she had to wear "form fitting tennis clothes" and also felt an "overwhelming urge to snapback."

"Seeing other mom’s seemingly shrink immediately after having their baby was an expectation I began to put on myself," she wrote.

Osaka shared that the "self-comparison always hurt" because she felt that, as an athlete, she should've been "losing weight quicker than most" and intensified her workouts, going to the gym daily.

"Most weeks would feel similar to the previous week and the weight didn’t disappear overnight so it was a bit disheartening," she continued.

But Osaka appears to have found acceptance in where her body currently is, knowing that "all bodies are different" and having learned how to "appreciate" hers.

"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 concluded.

"While typing this I realized that 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 ❤️” haha."

Osaka may get to enjoy her weight loss for awhile longer, as the athlete recently shared that she isn't in a rush to grow her family.

"I just wanna say, I'm not preggos," she said in an August TikTok, responding to pregnancy rumors. "But if I was, I wouldn't want many more because giving birth was traumatic. But thank you, though, for your blessings."