Naomi Osaka’s Custom Goth Look for US Open Is Her ‘Best Outfit Ever’: All the Details

Naomi Osaka makes the tennis court her podium.

Ahead of the 26-year-old’s return to the US Open on Tuesday, August 27, the athlete unveiled her custom Nike competition look that she previously touted on Threads as “the best outfit I’ve ever worn.”

This week, Osaka will take to the court wearing a black jacket with a large white ribbon on the back. Underneath, she will wear a black tennis dress with a small white bow around the waist and a tiered ruffled skirt. There are also small bows on the back of her shoes.

In conversation with The New York TimesOsaka, who was born in Japan and moved to the United States when she was 3, says the bow and ruffle details are inspired by Japanese culture. “I remember one of the first times I went to Japan, I saw so many ruffles and bows,” she said.

The designer behind the look, Yoon Ahn, told the outlet that Osaka shared references to Japanese subculture from the early stages of their collaboration.

“She sent me some looks of this ‘Lolita’ gothic style that she was really into at the time,” Ahn said. “They’re going out and wearing pink, frilly, bows, lace. It’s really about embracing the cute and feminine side.”

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Ahn co-founded Tokyo-based brand Ambush in 2008 and began working with Nike in 2018. On Tuesday, August 27, she released an eight-piece collection of vintage tennis-inspired apparel for Nike Women.

In his interview with the TimesOsaka also cited ballet as inspiration for her US Open look. “Actually, my movement coach is a ballerina,” the athlete explained. “She’s also my mental coach. So maybe I was thinking about that subconsciously. Before I met her, I thought ballerinas were just flexible, but then I realized they’re all incredibly strong.”

Despite the fact that the outfit is not traditional for the sport, Osaka believes it is “safe.” “I think it’s a beautiful outfit,” she says. “I lived in a time when Serena (Williams) taking her jacket off was a revelation. So for me to give someone else that experience is exciting.”

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Earlier this month, Osaka opened up about the “traumatic” birth of her first child, daughter Shai, whom she welcomed with rapper Cordae in July 2023,

“I just want to say I’m not pregnant, but if I was, I wouldn’t want many more,” she said via TikTok video in response to a comment on a previous video wondering if she was pregnant, “because giving birth was traumatic. But thank you anyway for your blessings.”