Naomi Osaka made Louis Armstrong Stadium her fashion runway at the U.S. Open.
The tennis star sported a white bomber jacket with a large green ribbon on the back in her first round win on Tuesday afternoon. Underneath she had a green tennis dress on with a smaller bow around her waist that featured a tiered ruffle skirt.
Her green and white sneakers were just as exciting as her outfit as they were highlighted with green bows on the backs.
"I feel like being able to be a part of my tennis outfits gives me, I would say, a different strength," Osaka said after the win. "Especially the US Open outfits, I feel like they are a little bit more flamboyant. When I was putting on my outfit today, I was like 'I hope this isn't too much.'"
The look was inspired by Japanese and Harajuku culture, Osaka said.
“I remember one of the first times I went to Japan, I saw so many frills and so many bows,” the star recollected.
Yoon Ahn, the designer behind the look, said that the two had discussions early on in their collaboration, with Osaka sending over inspiration pics that resembled a “Lolita goth thing she was really vibing at that moment."
"It’s about really owning the cutesy-ness and the girly-hood,” the Ambush cofounder said about the look.
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Despite the fact the kit is quite unconventional for the tennis court, Osaka doesn’t think there is “anything risky” about it. If anything, she wants to channel Serena Williams’ energy of bold looks in the big city.
"I’ve lived in the era when Serena [Williams] taking her jacket off was the reveal," Osaka said. "So to maybe give someone else that experience, for me, is exciting.”
It was a look good, play good moment for Osaka who dominated a tough No. 10 seed Jelena Ostapenko in the first round 6-3, 6-2. It was her first top-10 victory since 2022, bringing the star to tears moments after the hard-fought battle.
“I mean, it was stressful,” Osaka said after the match. “She hit some really good shots and I just told myself keep going, fight for every point and maybe you’ll have an opportunity. And I eventually did."
The former world No. 1 and two-time U.S. Open champion will take on Karolína Muchová in the second round on Thursday.
