"As a new mom, this hit home" - Naomi Osaka partners with Bobbie to address America's 'paid leave problem;' advocates for Family and Medical Leave Act

Naomi Osaka has teamed up with an infant formula company, founded by mothers, called Bobbie to address America's issues with paid leave while advocating for the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Osaka, who gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023, has been advocating for new parents and pushing for paid leave policies to support families. Partnering with Bobbie, Osaka has been championing the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, which aims to provide 12 weeks of paid leave, job protection, and a minimum monthly benefit of $580.

Despite the Act not yet being passed, Naomi Osaka and Bobbie initiated the N.O. Support Grants earlier this year, providing $580 to 50 families and encouraging 38 brands to collaborate, helping over 200 American families. Despite the Act not yet passed, Osaka highlighted its importance on social media.

"America has a paid leave problem and we're not keeping quiet about it. The lack of federal paid leave has left parents with little, if any, support. As a new mom, this hit home for me. That’s why I partnered with @bobbie to advocate for the Family and Medical Leave Act, which would give 12 weeks paid leave, job protection, and guarantee a minimum monthly benefit of $580," Osaka captioned her Instagram post.

The former World No. 1 stated that she wants to continue to make a difference and, alongside Bobbie, launched a petition to gather support for their cause. Their goal is to push forward their demands in front of policymakers and ask for federal paid leave for families across the country.

"We had a goal of awarding 50 families to receive a grant, but thanks to our coalition, we were able to support more than 200 parents. Thank you to the families who have shared their stories, and to the brands and individuals who have joined the movement. But our work isn’t done yet — we need your signature to get this in front of policymakers," she added.

Naomi Osaka's best performance after giving birth to Shai came at Qatar Open 2024

Naomi Osaka at the 2024 Qatar TotalEnergies Open

Naomi Osaka, who had been absent since the 2022 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, announced her pregnancy before the 2023 Australian Open and withdrew from the tournament. She missed the entire 2023 season before making a return to the court this season at the 2024 Brisbane International.

Following her return, Osaka's performances at the Brisbane International, Australian Open, and Abu Dhabi Open were lackluster. However, she found her stride at the Qatar Open, where she kicked off her campaign with a solid 7-5, 6-4 victory over Caroline Garcia in the first round. She then went on to defeat Petra Martic 6-3, 7-6(9) in the second round.

Naomi Osaka was set to face Lesia Tsurenko in the third round but advanced to her first quarterfinal in nearly two years after the latter withdrew from the match due to an elbow injury. However, Osaka's journey at the Qatar Open came to an end in the quarterfinals where she was defeated by Karolína Pliskova in a close match that ended 7-6(6), 7-6(5).