Mar 10, 2026; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Naomi Osaka (JPN) during her fourth round match against Aryna Sabalenka (BEL) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesFollowing her run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Naomi Osaka enjoyed a brief break, during which she spent quality time with her three-year-old daughter, Shai. Now back in action at the Mubadala DC Open to kick off her North American hardcourt swing, the former world No. 1 has revealed why she doesnt have professional tennis aspirations for her daughter.Why Naomi Osaka Wont Push Daughter Shai Into Professional TennisOsaka welcomed her daughter, Shai, in July 2023 with her then-boyfriend, rapper Cordae. Shai has been immersed in the world of tennis since a young age, recently accompanying the four-time Grand Slam champion to important tournaments, including Wimbledon and the Madrid Open.Despite her daughters exposure to the sport, Osaka has made it clear that she has no intention of pushing her daughter to pursue tennis professionally. During her pre-tournament press conference at the Mubadala DC Open, Osaka revealed that Shais experience with tennis has so far been limited to swinging a mini racket around.Well, she knows I play tennis. I dont tell her its, like, a professional job or anything, but she knows thats what I do for work. She has, like, a mini Yonex tennis racquet that she swings around, but shes actually never gone on the court and played, Osaka said.The former world No. 1 emphasized that she would never pressure Shai into becoming a professional tennis player, as she wants her daughter to have the freedom to develop her own passions.I dont think Id encourage it other than for her to get exercise because I feel like theres so many things that shes good at and so many things that she wants to explore. So, yeah, Ill see what happens in the future, she added.Osaka also reflected on how motherhood has changed her perspective, disclosing that she places more importance on being a role model since giving birth to Shai and highlighting how meaningful it is to have young fans looking up to her.I think ever since I had my daughter, it means a lot to see young girls and boys looking up to me. I think I take the responsibility really seriously now, she said. Obviously role models are really important, and for me, I had a lot of them growing up. Its because of them that Im able to be here now.Yeah, its really cool to see them having fun, to see them wanting to do the same things that I do. I hope that, you know, the next generation is able to come really quickly and is able to have a lot of fun on tour, she added.MORE: Naomi Osaka Treats Daughter Shai to Memorable Walt Disney World Adventure Ahead of DC OpenOn the tennis front, No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka will face either Ashlyn Krueger or Katie Boulter in her opening match at the DC Open, following a first-round bye. If she advances, the Japanese star is set to meet the winner of the match between Emma Navarro and Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the quarterfinals.