Naomi Osaka hilariously likens her bond with daughter Shai to leopardess and cub

Naomi Osaka recently shared a picture of a leopardess with her cub and humorously likened it to the bond that she shares with her daughter Shai.

Osaka often shares pictures with her fans of her infant daughter with her partner and rap artist, Cordae, through social media. She has been expressive in her love for motherhood through her posts.

At last year's US Open, the proud mother was seen sporting necklaces that read 'mama' and her daughter's name, 'Shai'.

Osaka took to social media to share a picture of a leopardess walking with her cub and used laugh-till cry and heart emojis to caption it:

"Me and Shai," Osaka wrote on Instagram.

Screengrab from Naomi Osaka's Instagram

After a first-round exit at the Australian Open 2024, the Japanese-American shared a heartfelt note in which she mentioned her daughter. She wrote that while her result at the Melbourne Major was not as per her expectations, going home to Shai made her happy.

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Naomi Osaka to compete in Abu Dhabi Open after Australian Open exit

Naomi Osaka at the 2024 Australian Open

Naomi Osaka will be seen in action at the 2024 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, scheduled from February 3-11, in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

This is Osaka's comeback season after giving birth to Shai in July last year. She made her first appearance in 2024 at the Brisbane International, registering a straight-sets victory over Tamara Korpatsch in the first round. She then lost to Karolina Pliskova in a three-setter in the second round.

The 26-year-old next competed at the Australian Open, where she suffered a straight-sets loss against France's Caroline Garcia in the opening round. She recently accepted a wildcard entry for the upcoming Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open along with former US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

The WTA 500 event will see the likes of former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, former French Open champions Jelena Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova, and two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, compete for the title.

Osaka expressed her excitement at competing at the event.

“I’m very excited about competing in this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and performing in front of the UAE tennis fans, who I know from previous experience will create a fantastic atmosphere," Osaka said, as per the WTA website.

She added that she was looking forward to taking part with some of her top peers.

“It’s a high-quality field with some of the world’s best players taking part and I’m looking forward to what I’m sure will be a fantastic event,” she added.