"Osaka reveals the reality of being a mother on the WTA circuit: 'Publicly they say certain things, but then in private...'"

Fernando Murciego | 17 Sep 2025 | 08.30

Naomi Osaka harshly criticizes the WTA circuit. Source: Getty

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That we have more mothers within the women's circuit can only be due to the fact that society is changing, fortunately, for the better. One of the great challenges for the WTA circuit was to build bridges for the players so that their return to the courts would be as smooth as possible, a challenge that seems to be better addressed each season. However, the reality is far from perfect, even though it may seem otherwise from within. To better understand this criticism, let's focus on some recent statements by Naomi Osaka in the Financial Times.

"I have had a couple of experiences where I don't think the WTA circuit has given mother players the benefit of the doubt to prioritize their well-being; perhaps they lacked, at many times, a real understanding of the actual challenges involved in returning after pregnancy," explains the former world number one. "It's a very serious issue; we need total commitment, a reflective movement by a group of experts involving mothers themselves. Maybe the WTA is promoting itself in the public sphere, but their private actions don’t entirely match,” adds the Japanese player, who became a mother for the first time in July 2023.

Since then, Naomi had to wait two years to compete again as she knows how, a version she finally displayed at the past US Open, although that's another topic. The key question is: why does the Japanese player claim that the circuit still does not fully take responsibility for mothers? "I will only say that there were a couple of tournaments where I was trying to play to get rhythm before some major events and, simply, they didn’t make it easy for me to access them. I suppose it all depends on the tournament structure, something I hadn't really considered until that moment. It wasn't until last year that I really discovered how difficult it could be to return to competition after pregnancy. Now that I know, I can better plan certain situations,” acknowledges the 27-year-old, currently ranked #49.

Certainly, from these experiences arose the idea of making a documentary where the four-time Grand Slam champion would show the true difficulty of being a mother and a professional tennis player at the same time. A project she did thinking of other moms and, above all, her daughter Shai. “I made that documentary, in part, as a letter to my daughter. Having a baby and returning to the tennis circuit isn’t something all mothers do, so I needed to explain to my daughter how it all happened. It's not so much a sports or tennis story, but a love letter to my daughter. At the same time, I hope it serves as inspiration for any mother in any capacity she sets her mind to,” values the Asian player.

PARENTAL RECOGNITION

After delivering the message to the WTA circuit and sending a note to her locker room colleagues, Naomi's latest statement was directed at the other 50% of humanity. Because yes, mothers are always celebrated when a child is born, but what about fathers? Don't they also make sacrifices to ensure everything keeps running as usual? In this regard, the Japanese player is very clear.

Naomi Osaka during a match. Source: Getty

"I like to celebrate all mothers, celebrate my daughter. However, it seems that mothers who quickly achieve success are labeled as 'mom,' while any male father never receives the same treatment, regardless if we talk about Lebron James, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, or any other. Sometimes I think the focus should be elsewhere,” she concludes.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Osaka destapa la realidad de ser madre en el circuito WTA: “Públicamente dicen unas cosas, pero luego en privado…”