An interesting development has emerged amongst them Australian Open ladies’s champions after the event’s two most up-to-date winners introduced their pregnancies inside days of one another.
Aussie tennis nice Ash Barty went public along with her child information final week, 10 months after retiring from the game, whereas Osaka’s being pregnant defined the thriller of her absence from this 12 months’s occasion.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tennis celebrity Naomi Osaka publicizes being pregnant.
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The shock reveals capped off what as soon as threatened to turn out to be the subsequent nice rivalry in ladies’s tennis, when Barty and Osaka traded the world No.1 rating and gained seven grand slams between September 2018 and January 2022.
However they’ve additionally served to focus on an unbelievable anomaly.
Three of the final 5 Australian Open winners are presently pregnant, one other simply welcomed their second child and the best of all – Serena Williams – gained her title whereas pregnant.
Angelique Kerber defeated Williams within the 2016 remaining to say her first main championship and went on to win the US Open later that 12 months and Wimbledon in 2018.
The German, now 34, was set to compete within the US Open final 12 months earlier than she introduced she was anticipating.
“I actually wished to play the US Open however ultimately I made a decision that two in opposition to one simply is not honest competitors,” Kerber wrote.
“For the subsequent months, I’ll take a break from touring the globe as a tennis participant however then once more, I consider it is for the absolute best purpose!
“Being an expert athlete means every thing to me however I am grateful for the brand new path I am heading to. To be trustworthy, I am nervous and excited on the identical time.”
In 2017, Serena Williams gained the Australian Open – her record-breaking 23rd grand slam title – whereas eight weeks pregnant, and she or he gained each set.
She by chance introduced the being pregnant on Snapchat, posting a photograph captioned ’20 weeks’ earlier than deleting and making a proper announcement on Instagram.
“My dearest child, you gave me the power I did not know I had. You taught me the true which means of serenity and peace. I can not wait to fulfill you,” Williams wrote.
“I can not wait so that you can be part of the gamers field subsequent 12 months. However most significantly, I’m so comfortable to share being primary on this planet with you… from the world’s oldest primary to the world’s youngest primary. Your mommy.”
Williams gave delivery to daughter Olympia in September that 12 months, struggling problems earlier than returning to the court docket and reaching 4 grand slam finals throughout the subsequent two years.
Caroline Wozniacki gained the Australian Open in 2018, defeating Simona Halep within the remaining to win her first and solely grand slam.
The Dane retired after one final look on the Melbourne occasion in 2020 and gave delivery to her first little one Olivia in June 2021.
She was pregnant once more final 12 months, with the brand new addition arriving simply 11 weeks in the past.
“Household of 4. James Wozniacki Lee, born October 24, 2022. All people is wholesome and Olivia is thrilled to be a giant sister,” Wozniacki wrote.
And so this 12 months’s previous rivals Ash Barty and Naomi Osaka will welcome their first kids into the world inside weeks of one another later this 12 months.
Barty, the reigning Australian Open champion, hung up the racquet two months after her iconic triumph to chase different desires off the court docket.
Her wedding ceremony to associate Garry Kissick was the primary main step in retirement whereas the being pregnant was introduced simply days out from this 12 months’s grand slam.
“2023 is ready to be one of the best 12 months but. We’re so excited for our new journey,” she wrote final week.
“Origi already the protecting huge sister.”
Osaka was champion in Melbourne in each 2019 and 2021, and introduced her being pregnant after thriller surrounded whether or not she would play within the Australian Open this month.
She withdrew simply days earlier than going public with the large information, which additionally included affirmation that she expects to return to tennis in January 2024.
“Cannot wait to get again on the court docket however this is just a little life replace for 2023,” Osaka wrote.
“I do know that I’ve a lot to stay up for sooner or later, one factor I am trying ahead to is for my child to look at one in every of my matches and inform somebody, ‘that is my mother’, haha.”
Simply three ladies have gained grand slam titles as moms – Margaret Court docket and Kim Clijsters every did it 3 times whereas Evonne Goolagong Cawley managed the feat as soon as.
Present moms on tour embody Victoria Azarenka, Tatjana Maria and doubles star Sania Mirza.
Osaka’s announcement earned widespread help inside and outdoors the tennis world.
French tennis participant Gael Monfils, whose spouse and fellow tennis participant Elina Svitolina gave delivery to their first little one in October final 12 months, wrote: “Congratulations.”
World No.7 Coco Gauff echoed the sentiment, as did Swedish swimming champion Sarah Sjostrom and Olympic icon Michael Phelps.
Two of the best tennis gamers of all time, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, each congratulated Osaka.
Celebrities outdoors of the sporting world additionally rushed to chip in, together with American actor and stunt performer Johnny Knoxville and actress Kate Hudson.
In the meantime, Osaka’s announcement has revived a weird correlation between the timing of the Australian Open and the delivery dates of a number of kids of tennis champions.
“(Rafael) Nadal’s son was born in October, (Novak) Djokovic’s son was born in October,” German tennis media identification Bastien Fachan wrote.
“(Daniil) Medvedev’s daughter was born in October, Monfils and Svitolina’s daughter was born in October.
“I have to know what is going on down on the Australian Open yearly.”
It was later famous Andre Agassi additionally had two kids born in October within the 12 months he gained the Australian Open.
