Who is Naomi Osaka’s Boyfriend, YBN Cordae? Here’s What We Know About the Tennis Champ’s Relationship

Published Jan 11, 2023

At just 25-years-old, Naomi Osaka has won four Grand Slams and made history as the first Asian player to rank number one in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association. Simply put, Osaka is at the top of her game, and her boyfriend, YBM Cordae, has been cheering her on the entire time.

If, like us, you've been keeping up with Osoaka's social media page, then you've probably noticed Cordae pop up on her feed—and you probably noticed her recent pregnancy announcement—which makes us all the more curious about their relationship. For instance, how did they meet? And when did they start dating? Here’s what we know about Naomi Osaka's boyfriend.

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1. Who Is Naomi Osaka's Boyfriend, Ybn Cordae?

Cordae (born Cordae Amari Dunston) is a Grammy Award-nominated rapper, singer, and songwriter who’s best known for remixing popular songs. Though the rapper was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, he moved to Suitland, Maryland, and quickly developed a passion for hip-hop.

After taking on songwriting and rapping as hobbies for several years, he started to pursue a serious career in music and joined the YBN collective in 2018. However, the group has since disbanded.

In July 2019, Cordae released his debut studio album, The Lost Boy, which peaked at #6 on Billboard's Top Rap Albums Chart and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. Since then, he released his second studio album, From a Birds Eye View, in January 2022. The album featured guest artists like Gunna, Lil Wayne, H.E.R., Lil Durk, Freddie Gibbs, Stevie Wonder, Eminem and Roddy Ricch.

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2. When Did Osaka And Cordae Start Dating?

Osaka and Cordae were first romantically linked to each other in 2019. In July of 2019, Cordae appeared on Hot 97’s Ebro In The Morning and confirmed their relationship.

He explained that when he first approached her during a Los Angeles Clippers game, he wasn't aware of her tennis stardom. He admitted, “I didn’t even know who she was,” adding that the only player he was familiar with was Serena Williams. However, after he got to know her, he developed an interest in the sport and has been supporting her ever since.

3. When Did They Become Instagram Official?

It looks like they made their Instagram debut in 2019. Cordae's earliest post with Osaka dates back to October of 2019, where he uploaded a clip of himself driving with Osaka as he rapped along to a song. The post has since been deleted, but in the caption, he included a birthday tribute that read, "Happy Bday to my lil Supahstar [party emoji] @naomiosaka, you inspire me in more ways than you know. Happy to have a real one [heart emoji]."

Meanwhile, Osaka's earliest pic with Cordae was shared on Valentine's Day. She posted a sweet video of Cordae sneaking up behind her on an escalator and wrote, "Happy Valentine’s Day or whatever."

4. Who Has Osaka Dated In The Past?

This actually marks the tennis player's first public relationship. And as for Cordae, he also hasn't publicly dated anyone before he started his relationship with Osaka.

Judging by their romantic Instagram snaps and videos, it's clear to see that the two are very in love—and we couldn't be happier for them.

5. Do Osaka and Cordae Want to Have Children?

Yes! The Grand Slam champion announced on Instagram that she’s pregnant with her first child. Osaka shared a photo of a baby sonogram on her page and wrote in the caption, “Can’t wait to get back on the court but here’s a little life update for 2023.”

The tennis athlete wrote an important message (in English and Japanese) alongside the sonogram photo, sharing that she plans to take a break from tennis and focus on her child. “The past few years have been interesting, to say the least, but I find that it’s the most challenging time in life that may be the most fun,” she wrote in the post. “These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to.”

She added, “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 some, ‘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. Love you all infinitely [red heart emoji].”

Wishing Naomi and Cordae so much happiness as they enter this new chapter in their lives!

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Nakeisha Campbell

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...

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