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AUGUST 01: Naomi Osaka of Japan runs across the court against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia during their third-round match on Day Six of the WTA 1000 National Bank Open at IGA Stadium on August 1, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Key Takeaways
Naomi Osaka’s new documentary, The Second Set, explores how motherhood reshaped her identity and tennis career.
The film captures her mental and physical challenges as she returns to tennis after giving birth to her daughter, Shai.
Produced by her media company Hana Kuma, the documentary highlights Osaka’s evolving role as both athlete and storyteller.
Naomi Osaka is opening up about how becoming a mom has changed her life — and her return to tennis.
In the trailer for Naomi Osaka: The Second Set, premiering Aug. 24 on Tubi, the four-time Grand Slam champion reflects on balancing her tennis career with raising her 2-year-old daughter, Shai, whom she shares with rapper Cordae. The documentary is produced by Hana Kuma, Naomi’s media company, and in partnership with Nike.
“I’m a tennis player, but I’m more than just an athlete,” the 27-year-old says at the start of the clip. “I’ve never had a life outside of tennis.” Her mother, Tamaki Osaka, is also heard, sharing how Venus and Serena Williams inspired her to get her daughters into the sport.
The documentary captures Naomi’s journey back to the sport after stepping away in 2023 for her pregnancy. “I always wanted to be a mom,” she says in another scene. But the road back hasn’t been easy. “I know physically I’m not where I want to be,” the Haitian-Japanese tennis star admits, before a commentator notes her loss at the Australian Open. “Who are you to think that you can come back?” she recalls hearing in her head.
The teaser then cuts to training footage before Naomi gets emotional. “I have multiple identities. My return to the sport is a love letter for moms,” she says. “Some people say she ended my career, but for me, it feels like she started my career.” She ends with: “Nothing is ever over and you’re never out of the game.”
The moment Naomi Osaka’s life changed forever
As previously reported by REVOLT, Naomi and Cordae welcomed Shai in July 2023, with Cordae sharing the news during his Calgary Stampede performance. Naomi had announced her pregnancy in January 2023 on Instagram with a sonogram photo, writing, “Every day is a new blessing and adventure… One thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘That’s my mom.’”
AloJapan.com