Naomi Osaka turned heads at Arthur Ashe Stadium during her opening match at the 2026 US Open with a stunning all-white entrance outfit.
The two-time champion walked onto the court wearing a distressed frayed hoodie lined with newspaper clippings of her own career highlights paired with a long cascading white tulle skirt.
Homage to a sports legend
Once she stepped onto the court, Osaka shed the outer layer to reveal an all-black playing kit. She styled her hair in classic cornrows with a red-and-black headband and added arm sleeves – a direct nod to former NBA star Allen Iverson.
Osaka explained the inspiration behind her look, sharing that “he’s shifted the way NBA players dress and I also think, like, the whole conversation about clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style” makes him someone she deeply admires.
Responding to Nike’s theme
The outfit was part of a basketball-inspired theme introduced by her sponsor, Nike, for this year’s tournament. Osaka took the concept and ran with it telling reporters, “I said, OK, you want basketball? I’ll give you basketball.”
A hard-fought first win
After her stylish entrance, the 13th seed faced a tough battle on the court against Anastasia Zakharova. Osaka pushed through two tense tiebreak sets to win 7-6(6), 7-6(3).
Reflecting on her performance, she admitted, “I was a little rusty and also I just get really nervous during the first round of this tournament because I want to do well and I want to show you guys some more outfits.”
