Naomi Osaka says she sent someone to collect her daughter’s birth certificate from her home in LA

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – While Naomi Osaka is busy competing – and winning – at Australian Openshe had to send someone to retrieve her 1 1/2-year-old daughter’s birth certificate from their home in California in case it was caught in wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area.

After a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Caroline Garcia of France in the first round at Melbourne Park on Monday night, Osaka said during an on-court interview at Rod Laver Arena that she had learned there was a fire burning three blocks from her house.

Osaka said she figured it would be a good idea to keep the birth certificate. Her daughter, Shai, was born in July 2023 and has traveled with Osaka on the tennis tour.

Osaka announced this month on social media that she and Shai’s father, the rapper Cordaehad ended their relationship.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve had the greatest focus, but of course I won, so I think it’s an acceptable job,” Osaka said of splitting her thoughts between Los Angeles and the tournament where she competes. “It’s really hard for me … because now I think my home is more of a home because I have memories with my daughter. There are so many things – souvenirs and things like that.”

Osaka wore a black Dodgers hat with “LA” and a red heart stitched on it, along with a purple Lakers jersey for her press conference.

“I’m not there, so I don’t know how bad it is or how bad it’s going to get,” she said. “But I think the biggest thing I’m thankful for is that everyone in my family is safe.”

Osaka added that she doesn’t think she will go to Los Angeles right after the Australian Open because she said: “I don’t feel it’s safe enough to go back there. It’s a bit in limbo – but it’s motivating me too to hopefully stay here as long as I can.”

She is a former no. 1-ranked tennis player who has won four Grand Slam titles – two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open.

Osaka was born in Japan and her family moved to the US when she was 3. She has been based in Los Angeles for several years.

“Sending all my love to LA. We hear about fires, but I didn’t know how devastating it could be,” Osaka said in court. “I hope everyone is OK.”

She then wrote “LA” and drew a heart in blue ink on the lens of a front-yard television camera. Other Australian Open athletes, including Coco Gauff and Donna Vekic, have done the same after their matches.

It was the second year in a row that Osaka and 2022 US Open semi-finalist Garcia have played each other in the first round at Melbourne Park. Last year, however, Osaka had only recently returned from maternity leave, and she lost that match to Garcia.

“It’s a really big coincidence,” Osaka said. “It felt kind of familiar.”

She got off to a good start this season by reaching the final of a hard-court tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, although she stopped playing after taking the opening set of that title match due to injury.

Next up at the Australian Open for Osaka will be a matchup against the 20th seed Karolina Muchovawho was runner-up at the 2023 French Open, but later missed about 10 months of action due to wrist surgery. Muchova advanced by eliminating Nadia Podoroska 6-1, 6-1.

At last year’s US Open, Muchova defeated Osaka in the second round.

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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: