The year 2019 was a special one for Naomi Osaka on many fronts. She started off the year by winning the Australian Open title, her first major title Down Under. The Japanese star had already announced herself on the big stage by winning the US Open title the previous year by defeating Serena Williams in the summit clash. However, the win in Melbourne helped Osaka achieve fame worldwide and win over many fans across the globe. Among them was rapper Cordae, who was seen hanging around with Osaka. As the two caught the attention of the fans, rumors soon began to circulate of the two dating.

Back in April 2019, Osaka took to social media and shared a clip of the two spending time together. “Can’t take this guy anywhereeeee lol,” Osaka captioned the post. This made the fans curious, with many speculating that the two were dating each other. Months later, it was Cordae who officially confirmed that he was dating Osaka. During an interview in July that year, Cordae said, “That’s my girl,” and updated his fans about his relationship status.

Interestingly, their first date was at a Los Angeles Clippers game.  The two had been secretly dating for quite some time before officially making it public. Later, the rapper admitted, “We just kept it hidden for a while, kept it quiet. I don’t really like to go to public with my personal life, but if you just ask me [whether she’s my girlfriend], it’d be disrespectful to her if I said ‘Nah,’ at this point.”

While Cordae wasn’t a big fan of tennis before he met Osaka, the star rapper often supported Osaka from the stands after the two got into a relationship. During the US Open in 2020, Cordae was seen cheering for the Japanese star and Osaka went on to win the title that year. “I feel like he actually really helped me win just, like, keeping up the motivation,”  Osaka said after her win. Further, the two kept making public appearances together but the most memorable moment of their relationship came in 2023.

When Naomi Osaka welcomed her first child with Cordae

Taking to her official X handle, the Japanese star announced in January 2023 that she was pregnant with her first child with rapper Cordae. Expressing her emotions while making this announcement, Osaka wrote, “I realize that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom,’ haha. 2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I’ll be at Aus 2024.”

Osaka announced her maternity leave and missed the entire 2023 season. The former World No. 1 gave birth to daughter Shai in July that year and it was naturally the most memorable moment of Osaka and Cordae’s relationship. Cordae was elated and revealed the name of his child during his performance on-stage. “My daughter Shai was just born a couple days ago, so I dedicate this performance to my baby girl Shai. Love you, I’m going back home,” he said.

Osaka, in the meantime, made a comeback to the court in 2024 after her maternity leave. However, like most relationships, Osaka’s relationship with Cordae also went through its ups and downs.

Osaka announces split with Cordae

In September 2023, months after giving birth to her first child, Osaka hinted about trouble in her relationship with Cordae. She deleted all her pictures with Cordae on social media, which sparked rumors about a split between the two. However, the two continued to remain silent on this matter and even shared their parenting routines.

In an interview, Osaka revealed, “We built a really good foundation. I don’t know if it’s because he’s just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other’s opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out. At the end of the day, we both want what’s best for Shai.”

However, it wasn’t until yesterday that Osaka officially confirmed that she had split with Cordae. Updating her fans, Osaka took to Instagram and wrote, “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. 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.”

The two, however, remain committed to co-parenting their daughter Shai. While Osaka has been going through tough times in her personal life, her fans hope that it doesn’t affect her on-court performance, with the Australian Open coming up in a few days.