Inside Naomi Osaka's Relationship With Rapper Cordae
Relationships between a sports star and a musician are nothing new. David and Victoria Beckham have been together for over 20 years. Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton used to date Nicole Scherzinger. Enrique Iglesias has three children with tennis star Anna Kournikova, and we could go on further. However, one of the hottest young couples right now is fellow tennis player Naomi Osaka and her rapper boyfriend Cordae.
They're both highly regarded in their respective careers, with Osaka currently the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, and Cordae being nominated for two Grammys in 2020, and another in 2022. The celebrity couple was notably together for a while before going public and prefers to keep things private in general even now.
Thankfully, they've shared certain details about their relationship both online and in interviews, so we've been able to piece together some of the insider info on them. Here, we take a look at the sweet relationship between Osaka and Cordae.
Osaka introduced her boyfriend to tennis
Their first date was a Los Angeles Clippers game — Cordae is more of a basketball fan than a tennis kind of guy. Speaking to GQ, the rapper explained, "It's not my sport. If you asked me about tennis, before being immersed in it because of Naomi, I could only give you Venus and Serena Williams, you know? Because they're just a part of the culture."
The rapper felt a little out of place at the US Open, because "That was my first time being in an environment like that in my entire life. My elementary school, middle school, high school was 99.9% Black ... It just felt really weird for me being in that space. That was my first tennis match ever." The couple is politically active too. In particular, they've both been very vocal in their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
In 2020 Osaka, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, withdrew from the Cincinnati Open to raise awareness for the shooting of Jacob Blake. That same year, Cordae was arrested at a protest for the murder of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. Clearly, these two are in line to become a real power couple in the world of celebrity not least because they're both politically engaged and highly ambitious.
They're expecting their first child together
On January 10, 2023, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka took to Instagram to share the happy news that she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend Cordae. Osaka included a photo from an ultrasound appointment, slyly captioning her post: "Can't wait to get back on the court but here's a little life update for 2023." The following message was in both English and Japanese, with the celebrated athlete acknowledging that she's had a tough time lately, particularly while taking a break from tennis (via Express).
Osaka wrote, "I realize that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, every day is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so 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." The multiple Grand Slam winner promised to see fans in Australia next year, so we won't have too long to wait before Osaka is back dominating her field again.
The outspoken activist is known for being extremely open about her struggles with fans. As The Guardian reported, she pulled out of the French Open in 2021 to deal with some troubling mental health issues, later causing major controversy for refusing to do any press. Osaka went months before speaking to reporters again and broke down in tears when the time eventually came.
The athlete and rapper like to keep their relationship private
When Naomi Osaka and Cordae spoke to GQ back in 2021, it was a big deal for them because, as the rapper admitted at the time: "We were dating for almost a year before people knew about us. So we kind of move very reclusively." Although they attended the Met Gala together a few months later, these two are adamant about keeping their relationship just for them. As Cordae explained, "We don't really post intimate moments [online], because I feel as though they're sacred."
In fact, per People, Osaka shared an "appreciation post" for her man on Instagram, which included a shot of them cuddling up after the 2020 US Open finals, before quickly deleting it. "He stopped everything he was doing because I FaceTimed him a couple of days earlier and said I was feeling sad and lonely in the bubble," the tennis star revealed, confirming that Cordae hopped on a flight to be with her.
During an appearance on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast, Cordae reiterated that he prefers to keep the relationship "pure and off the internet," admitting that it can be challenging — especially when the paparazzi are lurking. However, the Grammy nominee also noted that it's easy with Osaka because they're able to separate their jobs and their relationship. The rapper is known for being a massive fan of his lady, however, with footage capturing Cordae celebrating courtside following one of Osaka's big wins.