Naomi Osaka plans flirtatious look for US Open

Naomi Osaka will wear a flirtatious look at the US Open.

When the 26-year-old US Open champion steps into the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center this week, she’ll pay homage to Japan’s Lolita subculture with a frilly look that’s laced with bows and a touch of black-and-white goth. Designed by Yoon Ahn, who co-founded Tokyo-based brand Ambush in 2008 and began collaborating with Nike in 2018, the look was inspired by the tennis player’s first visit to Japan.

“The inspiration for me was definitely Japanese, like Harajuku,” she explained to The New York Times on her next look. “I remember one of the first times I went to Japan, I saw so many frills and so many bows.”

“I always felt like walking on the court was a transformation for me,” she added of the U.S. Open. “I think there’s something pretty cool about emphasizing that, especially here in New York. In New York, the tennis court is more like a stage.”

When she and Ahn conceptualized the look, the designer told her that nothing was out of the realm of possibility.

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

Ultimately, two versions of Osaka’s US Open look emerged: one in black, for the evening matches, and another in green, for the daytime competitions. Osaka’s one-year-old daughter Shai also got her own version of Nike’s outfits, for when she gets to watch her mother take the court.

Osaka’s playful look follows in the footsteps of retired tennis champion Serena Williams, who was no stranger to avant-garde looks on court. From jumpsuits to tutus, Williams turned heads with her extravagance but normalized US Open players having fun with their looks on court. Given the precedent set, Osaka feels her look is far from risqué.

“I don’t think there’s anything risky about it,” she said. “I think it’s a beautiful piece of clothing. I lived in a time when Serena taking her jacket off was revealing. So for me to give that experience to someone else is exciting.”

She added that collaborating with Ahn to create a spectacular moment was nothing short of empowering, leading her to feel more comfortable and confident in her own skin on and off the court.

“I think fashion can do something magical,” she said. “I think when I put on my US Open outfit, I will feel a transformation.”

The US Open champion entered the competition as a surprise underdog after being ranked 85th, despite previous victories in 2018 and 2020. This year, she noted that she struggled to find her feet after returning from maternity leave in January. Earlier this month, she wrote that it wasn’t her ranking that bothered her most, but her body image.

“My biggest problem right now is not the losses,” she wrote on Instagram. “My biggest problem is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body.”

A few days later, she announced on Threads that her next outfit for the US Open would be “the best outfit I’ve ever worn,” changing her Instagram profile picture to Sailor Moon, referencing the character’s penchant for bows.