Four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka dazzled the Roland Garros crowd with an eye-catching, two-part outfit ahead of her first-round French Open win over Germany’s Laura Siegemund.
Osaka walked out at Court Suzanne-Lenglen wearing a black corset and matching pleated cascading skirt that skimmed over the red clay.
Her stylish pre-match outfit was layered over an impressive gold tennis dress designed by Nike, which was striped with sequins and sparkled in the Parisian sunshine.
When asked about the inspiration behind her look following her 6-3, 7-6(3) win over Siegemund, the world No. 16 said in her post-match on-court interview: “Honestly, it’s very couture.
“And also, funny enough, you know the Eiffel Tower at night when it’s like sparkly? I kind of think I look like that a little bit.”
Osaka has recently turned heads for her fashion sense both on and off the court at the US Open last year, the Australian Open and the Met Gala earlier this year.
The 28-year-old later added in her press conference: “I feel like (the outfit was) a nod to France and also couture, which is something that I really love.
“Also, we were trying to figure out: ‘How do we even follow-up what happened in Australia?’ (Because) I think coming to Paris is really special … trying to find a designer who understands my style and understands what we’re trying to achieve wasn’t too difficult.”
Osaka found her designer in Kevin Germanier, a Swiss-born designer known for his sustainable approach to fashion and work with upcycled materials.
“I tell people I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes. That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or fabric as I want,” she explained.
“That’s the fun part. I feel like we lost that a little in tennis. I always tell people I grew up with Serena and Venus (Williams’) grand reveals. I literally can look at a picture and probably tell you what year that outfit came from.
“I know there are some kids or some people that are similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits.”
While the outfit certainly caught the eye of the public and fans everywhere, Osaka was concerned about one aspect of the dress.
“I actually got a little worried because when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot,” she said after the match, according to the Associated Press. “So I was a little scared that the umpire was going to kick me off the court, so I (had) two back-up normal Nike dresses.”
Watching Osaka’s first round entrance live on TNT Sports, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka shared similar sentiments, “I love it. I love that she’s expressing herself. She feels confident, and that’s the beauty of the fashion world. There’s space for anything, and I love that she’s bringing it on court.”
However, despite this, Osaka’s beaten opponent Siegemund was less impressed with what she called her “fashion show.”
“I couldn’t care less,” she told TNT Sports. “I come here to play tennis, not to put on a fashion show. And if others want to put on a fashion show, then they should go ahead and do it. That’s totally fine with me.”
Despite the hubbub around the fashion display, the goal at Roland Garros remains very much the same for the Japanese star: her on-court performance. Osaka is looking to advance past the third round at the French Open for the first time in her career.
The four-time grand slam winner is set to face 2024 Olympic singles silver medalist Donna Vekić in the second round on Thursday.
