Naomi Osaka kicked off her U.S. Open run the only way she knows how: in style.
Taking the Arthur Ashe Stadium court in a custom Who Decides War tulle gown, which had a hooded top with sewn-in newspaper clippings of her most memorable career moments, Osaka outlasted Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) as the day flipped from Monday to Tuesday.
“I would say it took everything,” Osaka said during her on-court interview. “I have no idea what time it is, so thanks for staying. I’m sure it’s really late. I’m just really grateful to play on this court again.”
Styled by Law Roach, the No. 13 seed said she drew inspiration from Allen Iverson for the look.
Osaka sported her hair in cornrows pulled back into a bun. Her black-on-black Nike kit had a vintage NBA jersey feel to it, with a metallic skirt that had a basket-like texture peeking out from underneath.
In her Arthur Ashe debut, Zakharova took Osaka to a tiebreaker in both sets. But Osaka’s poise and familiarity with the magnitude of the stage ultimately prevailed to clinch her spot in Round 2.
The 28-year-old Osaka finally converted on her third set point in the first set.
And after dropping the first point of the tiebreaker in the second set, Osaka unleashed a 121 mph ace that started a 5-0 run before she officially locked up the match with another blistering serve.
Osaka’s serve maxed out at 122 mph, but her hardest serve of the day undoubtedly was her match look.
The two-time U.S. Open winner is known for making bold fashion statements before and during play.
“It’s my tribute to Iverson,” she said of her U.S. Open look. “I really like him a lot. Nike said ‘basketball.’ So I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’ I love expressing myself through clothes. I don’t like talking that much, I tell people. I’m glad you guys appreciate it and I’ll see you in the next round.”
When Osaka first name-dropped Iverson last week, the two had yet to interact in any way.
Iverson, an 11-time All-Star, noticed rather quickly.
“Wow, what an honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you,” Iverson wrote on Instagram in response.
Osaka said she hopes to be able to show tennis fans more of her outfits over the next couple of weeks, but this one was in honor of the four-time NBA scoring champion.
“For me, he’s a trailblazer,” Osaka said of Iverson last week. “I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot because he’s kind of like doing a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not. But he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress and I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports. Also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone I look up to in that regard.”
