Tennis pro-Naomi Osaka is choosing to start the year single. The 27-year-old announced that she’s parting ways with the father of her child and longtime partner, rapper Cordae.
“Hi everyone, just wanted to say that Cordae and I are no longer in a relationship,” the four-time Grand Slam winner wrote in a statement shared via her Instagram story. “No bad blood at all; he’s a great person and an awesome dad.”
This news comes just a year after Osaka announced she was expecting her first child. The Tennis player and rapper gave birth to their daughter Shai in July 2023.
The mother of one and North Carolina-born hip-hop artist began dating in 2019, the same year she won the Australian Open title. While she never openly confirmed their relationship and kept things low-key for the most part, Osaka did share a post of her hanging with Cordae on social media in April 2019.
“Can’t take this guy anywhereeeee lol,” she captioned the post then.
Osaka’s breakup announcement also comes a couple of days after she suffered an abdominal injury while playing the final of a WTA tournament in Auckland. The tournament, which took place on Sunday January 5, led to the athlete dropping out of the finals.
Getting back into tennis has been a challenge for Naomi since giving birth to her daughter, and she’s been open about that.
“There are moments where it’s really difficult, where I do get down on myself,” Osaka said last week. “But then I just kind of realized I was pregnant not so long ago and I just really wanted the opportunity to play again,” she said.
The mother of one has also battled postpartum and shared that she ‘didn’t feel like she was in her body’ after having a baby during fall last year. During her free time, Osaka also advocates for the wellbeing of others via her podcast series Can’t Wait to Hear from You.
We hope the athlete recovers well and can show up in all her roles despite life’s challenges.