Sports
New moms Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki ready to compete at the Australian Open
Smaller things are getting Naomi Osaka’s attention now that she’s preparing for her Grand Slam comeback.
She’s focusing on being more in the moment. More patient. More conscious of who may be watching her play her first major since 2022, and what kind of impression she’ll leave.
The first 15-day Australian Open, set to start Sunday morning (Saturday night in the U.S. ET), has been hyped as the tournament of comebacks. And Osaka has top billing among the three former No. 1-ranked, former Australian Open champions returning to Melbourne Park for their first time as moms.
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The attention on that returning trio — Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki — intensified after another prominent storyline fizzled out when Rafael Nadal’s attempted comeback from a year-long injury layoff lasted three matches.
The 22-time major winner has a small tear in a muscle near his surgically repaired hip and and flew home, leaving Novak Djokovic as the only remaining member of the so-called Big Three.
Naomi Osaka plays a shot against Karolina Pliskova during the Brisbane International tennis tournament on Jan. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard, File)
Osaka competed for the first time in more than a year last week; she became a mother in July when her daughter, Shai, was born.
The four-time major winner went 1-1 in Brisbane and found herself engaging more with other players, and more eager to acknowledge fans.
“A part of me felt like Shai was watching me,” she said. “I wanted to do my best for her. Also, when I was signing autographs, I was more aware of kids. I see them differently now because now I’m a mom, too, and I can picture Shai being that age. Yeah, I think while I’m playing, I’m aware of it in the sense that I want to be a good role model for my daughter.”
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The 26-year-old Osaka has a Japanese mother and a Haitian father. She was born in Japan and grew up in the U.S. With endorsements and prize money, she’s one of the wealthiest athletes in women’s sports.
In the past, she’s felt enormous pressure. Osaka was open about her issues with depression and anxiety when she withdrew from the French Open in 2021. She later took extended breaks from the game to protect her mental health.
She didn’t play elite-level tennis at all last year, but realized she really did miss it.
“Becoming a mom changed my mindset a lot,” she said. “I think I’m a lot more open-minded, a lot more patient. Also, I feel a lot stronger physically, but I think Shai definitely helped me with the way I view things.”
Osaka won her second U.S. Open title in 2020 and her second Australian Open title in 2021. Not long after, she said, “I closed myself off a lot.”
“I don’t think that was quite fair. … When people give me positivity and joy, I feel like it’s fair to return it.”
In Brisbane, Osaka didn’t wear headphones around the tennis venue, a choice she described as “character development!”
“I feel like I’m more confident with who I am as a person,” she said. “Now I find myself interacting with people.”
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Kerber, who had her Grand Slam breakthrough in Australia in 2016, withdrew from the 2022 U.S. Open because she was pregnant. Her daughter, Liana, was born in February; Kerber’s first win since in a competitive match was last week in Sydney as a member of Germany’s victorious United Cup team.
“For me to start my comeback like this, I mean, it couldn’t be better, to be honest,” she said. “It was a completely cold start for me. I had no idea where I am.”
One of her four losses was to top-ranked Iga Swiatek, one of the power players dominating the women’s game. Regardless, the feeling of being back “was amazing; what I really missed.”
Wozniacki won the Australian Open in 2018, ending a long drought in majors. She married former NBA player David Lee the following year, quit the tour in 2020 and had two children, Olivia and James.
She returned in time for last year’s U.S. Open, where she lost to eventual champion Coco Gauff in the round of 16.
She was given a wild-card entry for the Australian Open and warmed up in Auckland, New Zealand, last week, where she lost to another mom, Elina Svitolina.
There’ll be other mothers in the 128-player Australian Open women’s singles draw, including two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, who reached the semifinals last year while traveling with her son, Leo.
She said a stereotype that you can’t be an elite athlete and have a family had been broken.
“It’s actually evolved more and more. The testament of that is how many players are feeling comfortable and confident coming back and continue being on tour,” Azarenka said. “I believe that we still have a lot more growth to do in that space.”
Three women have won major titles in the Open era after having children: Margaret Court in Australia in 1973, Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980 and Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open in 2009.
Serena Williams missed four majors before making a comeback in 2018 after her first daughter, Olympia, was born but wasn’t quite able to add to her 23 Grand Slam titles.
Defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka beat Azarenka in the semifinals at Brisbane last week, and described her and Williams as inspirational for other athletes.
“Gives me belief,” Sabalenka said, “that maybe one day I can have a baby and come back and play on (a) high level.”
NFL free agency is here!
Well, kind of.
The league’s so-called legal tampering period begins Monday at 9 a.m. PT, when teams are allowed to start negotiating with the agents for players who are about to become unrestricted free agents. No contracts can actually be signed, however, until the the start of the new NFL league year, which is Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT.
So, basically, fans will start finding out what moves their teams make and where various players will land starting Monday morning.
Hours before the legal tampering period started, the Miami Dolphins announced they will release longtime quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The 2023 All Star will count $99 million against the Dolphins’ salary cap, the biggest dead cap hit in NFL history. The money can be split over the next two seasons if Tagovailoa is designated a post-June 1 release.
In six years with the Dolphins, Tagovailoa went 44-32 as a starter, completing 68% of his passes for 18,166 yards with 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023.
“Wearing this jersey and representing this city has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” Tagovailoa wrote Monday on Instagram, adding: “I also carry deep regret that I couldn’t get the job done and bring a championship home to this city. Miami deserves that, and I’ll always wish I could have delivered it for you.”
Who are some of the other big names in the free agency market? As far as quarterbacks are concerned, Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis could be a hot commodity. Daniel Jones is a free agent after a strong season with Indianapolis, although the Colts placed the transition tag on him and can match any offer.
Veteran quarterback Kyler Murray was informed by the Arizona Cardinals last week that they will be letting him go at the start of the new league year. The Atlanta Falcons have made a similar announcement regarding Kirk Cousins. Other available veteran quarterbacks include Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson and Marcus Mariota.
Teams in need of a running back might be interested in the services of Kenneth Walker III, who will be a free agent just weeks after he was named Super Bowl LX MVP as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Travis Etienne of the Jacksonville Jaguars could also find a new home.
This also seems to be a big year for free agent edge rushers (including Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Boye Mafe) and wide receivers (including Alec Pierce, Mike Evans, Romeo Doubs, Rashid Shaheed and Jauan Jennings).
Check back here for updates as teams begin making moves.
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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks this iconic program should be much better than their 19-12 record this season considering their whopping $22 million roster.
The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hold back his feelings about the Wildcats as they played Florida during Saturday’s prime SEC matchup. After the Gators hit some free throws to extend their first-half lead to 26-19, Vitale started to lay into the Wildcats.
Head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats in a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 7, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)
“I’m going to say this right here, I’ve done several Kentucky games, win or lose, $22 million this team [which has been reported] in terms of the NIL for their players,” he said, per Awful Announcing. “I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”
The Wildcats ended up losing by a score of 84-77, and Vitale continued about Kentucky near the end of their 12th loss of the season.
“I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory,” Vitale said, referencing a hard-fought game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’
“The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”
Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on Jan. 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari, who left for Arkansas after being unable to make a long March Madness run in recent seasons, including a shocking first round upset to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats have been coached by Mark Pope since, and they made the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee.
Kentucky Jasper Johnson in action vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Nov. 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated )
But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play, and now face the No. 9 seed in the upcoming tournament this week. The winner of each conference earns a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend.
The Wildcats will start their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU.
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The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.
Ingold’s deal with the Chargers reportedly is for two years and $7.5 million.
Ingold will be no stranger to the Chargers’ plans on offense. He played the past four seasons in Miami under coach Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator. Last year he caught eight passes for 52 yards and ran the ball twice in 17 games.
Ingold caught 47 passes for 372 yards and rushed for 34 yards in 20 carries in four seasons with the Dolphins. He also had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.
Before his time in Miami, Ingold played three seasons with the Raiders.
The deal comes two days after the Chargers signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz to take over for the retiring Bradley Bozeman. They agreed to terms on a one-year deal with edge rusher Khalil Mack on Saturday.
With the free agency negotiation period set to begin Monday at 9 a.m. PDT, the Chargers remain in strong position to be significant players in the free-agent market. They rank among the top-five teams in salary cap space, per Overthecap.com.
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