As the Australian Open got underway seven months ago, Naomi Osaka put paid to swirling speculation about her romance with rapper Cordae by confirming their split after five years together. In a touching message to her 2.8million Instagram followers, Osaka acknowledged the pair had gone their separate ways but stressed there were no hard feelings between them, with the pair also sharing a child.
Her remarks made it evident that she still holds Cordae in high regard and complimented his skills as a father. She claimed there was zero negativity from the break-up, even if the rapper claimed he didn’t know who she was when they first met. “Hi everyone, just wanted to say that Cordae and I are no longer in a relationship. No bad blood at all, he’s a great person and an awesome dad,” Osaka wrote at the time. “Honestly, really glad our paths crossed because my daughter is my biggest blessing, and I was able to grow a lot from our experiences together.”
Osaka’s Australian Open journey ended after she dropped the opening set and pulled out of her third-round encounter against Belinda Bencic due to an abdominal injury.
It would require a protracted four months before she tasted another victory, claiming the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo title in France with a straight-sets win over Kaja Juvan.
Cordae has chosen to remain away from the limelight since the separation, deliberately keeping his personal matters away from public attention.
During the early stages of their relationship, he revealed that the couple seldom shared intimate moments on social media, highlighting their dedication to privacy in an increasingly exposed world. “We don’t really post intimate moments, because I feel as though they’re sacred,” he said.
“A relationship is really a sacred thing. Once you let outside influences get into it, it becomes less sacred.” The pair welcomed their daughter, Shaid, in July 2023.
Osaka reached the final at the National Bank Open in Toronto earlier this month before falling to emerging talent Victoria Mboko in three sets, proving she’s once again prepared to compete for major titles.
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The US Open holds particular significance for Osaka given her remarkable 79 percent win rate in New York and her pair of triumphs there. The first was in 2018 when she stunned Serena Williams in the final as an unseeded outsider, and again in 2020 as the fourth seed, defeating Victoria Azarenka in three sets.
Her only opening-round departure at Flushing Meadows came against Danielle Collins in 2016, when Osaka was unseeded and Collins advanced to the third round before falling to eventual semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka.
Osaka also boasts two Australian Open titles, making New York and Melbourne the most successful majors of her career. The 27-year-old is now into the second round of this year’s US Open after beating German star Greet Minnen in straight sets on Wednesday.
AloJapan.com