Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka stunned the Roland Garros crowd with an eye-catching, two-part dress ahead of her French Open first-round win over Germany’s Laura Siegemund.
Osaka Court Suzanne-Lenglen stepped out wearing a black corset and matching pleated cascading skirt over red clay.
Her stylish pre-match outfit was over an impressive gold tennis dress designed by Nike, which was striped with sequins and glittering in the Paris sunshine.
When asked about the inspiration behind her look after her 6-3, 7-6(3) win over Siegemund, the world No. 16 said in her post-match on-court interview: “To be honest, it’s very attractive.
“And what’s also funny is, did you know what the Eiffel Tower looks like when it lights up at night? I think I look a little bit like that.”
Osaka has recently turned heads for her fashion sense on and off the court at last year’s US Open, Australian Open and earlier this year at the Met Gala.
The 28-year-old later said at her press conference: “I feel like (this dress) points to France and the clothing, which is something I really like.
“Also, we were trying to figure out: ‘How do we follow 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 its designer in Kevin Germanier, a Swiss-born designer known for his sustainable approach to fashion and working with upcycled materials.
“I tell people I don’t talk much, so this way I can talk through my clothes. It means I can be as vocal as I want in terms of colors or patterns or fabrics,” she said.
“That’s the fun part. I feel like we’ve lost a little bit in tennis. I always tell people I grew up with gorgeous performances from Serena and Venus (Williams). I can literally look at a picture and probably tell you what year that dress came from.
“I know there are some kids or some people like me who hopefully feel the same way about my outfit.”
While the costume certainly caught the attention of the public and fans everywhere, Osaka was concerned about one aspect of the costume.
“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 would kick me off the court, so I had two 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 room for anything, and I love that she’s bringing it to the court.”
However, despite this, Osaka’s defeated rival Siegmund was less than impressed with what she called her “fashion show”.
“I couldn’t care less,” she told TNT Sports. “I’m here to play tennis, not do a fashion show. And if other people want to do a fashion show, they should go ahead and do that. That’s perfectly fine with me.”
Despite all the noise surrounding fashion displays, the Japanese star’s goal at Roland Garros remains exactly the same: her on-court performance. Osaka is trying to advance beyond 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 Vekic in the second round on Thursday.
<a href=