Naomi Osaka was upstaged by her mother's smart suit as the tennis star returned to the court at the US Open on Thursday afternoon.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion who previously held the world number one ranking, has become known for her bold fashion choices at major tournaments in recent years. She has won the US Open twice, in 2018 and 2020, along with two Australian Open titles.
She opted for another dramatic on-court ensemble before facing Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The venue, named after the pioneering American tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles, is the main court of the New York tournament and the largest tennis stadium in the world, with a seating capacity of over 23,000.
However, her mother Tamaki caught the eye of onlookers after making a fashion statement of her own. She was pictured watching the match from the stands while dressed sharply in a suit.
For her own outfit, Osaka stepped out in an all-white design. The clothing included a long overshirt featuring tennis rackets stitched directly into the fabric.
The long tail of Osaka's shirt flowed behind her as she walked onto the hard court. She tripped on the fabric beneath her feet as she made her way to the net for the coin toss and to shake hands with Siniakova, who is a multiple-time Grand Slam doubles champion and Olympic gold medalist.
The all-white look chosen for the daytime session was a complete contrast to the all-black skirt and tank top she wore during Monday's night session at the same stadium. The US Open, held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, is the final Grand Slam event of the tennis calendar and is famous for its electric evening atmosphere.
Once the match began, Osaka wasted no time asserting her dominance, taking the first set 6-2.
US Open third round
While she lost the second set 5-7, she bounced back to take the deciding third set 6-1. The victory allowed her to safely progress to the third round of the tournament.
Allen Iverson tribute
The white ensemble was a big change from earlier in the week, when Osaka honored National Basketball Association legend Allen Iverson before beating unseeded Russian player Anastasia Zakharova in her opening round match.
For that evening match, she wore arm sleeves and a headband as she walked onto the center court in a wide, floor-length skirt and sleeveless hoodie.
Discussing her Nike outfit after the opening win, Osaka explained the inspiration behind the design.
"It's my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot," Osaka said after the win. "I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, 'OK, you want basketball, I'll give you basketball.'"
Earlier in the week, Osaka called Iverson a "trailblazer" in a press conference. During the media appearance, she wore a t-shirt featuring an old issue of SLAM magazine with the basketball star on the cover.
Iverson is a retired American professional basketball player who spent most of his 14-season career with the Philadelphia 76ers. Known as "The Answer," he won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2001 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential scorers and cultural figures in the history of the sport.
Osaka noted his profound impact on the culture and style of basketball.
"I think he's also someone that I look up to a lot, because he's done a lot in fashion. Whether it's on purpose or not, he's shifted the way that NBA players dress," Osaka added.
"I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports, and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he's someone that I look up to in that regard."
Osaka said she has never met the basketball Hall of Famer but added that "hopefully he'll see this," suggesting a future meeting could be arranged between the two athletes.
Iverson has since expressed interest in making that happen. Responding to the tribute, the former basketball star wrote on Instagram: "Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can't wait to meet you."
Grand Slam tournament fashion
The outfits in New York follow a series of striking fashion choices Osaka has made throughout the tennis calendar this season.
At the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this year, she wore a dramatic veil outfit that she compared to a jellyfish. The tournament in Australia is the first Grand Slam of the year and is played on hard courts during the Southern Hemisphere's summer.
She then became the subject of debate among her fellow competitors at the French Open in Paris this past June. The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, is the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay courts, a surface that demands immense physical endurance.
After arriving for her first-round match in a flowing black skirt and corset, she unveiled a shimmering gold dress.
Her opponent in that match, German professional player Laura Siegemund, aimed a pointed comment in her direction following the display.
"I came here to play tennis, not to put on a fashion show," Siegemund had told TNT Sports. "And if others want to put on a fashion show, then they should go ahead and do it. That's totally fine with me."
However, Donna Vekic, a Croatian professional player who Osaka faced in the second round of the French Open, told critics to "relax" and embrace the approach.
"Some people take tennis way too seriously," Vekic said. "Relax, it's just an outfit. I think it's good that she's doing different things, expressing herself through fashion."
"Whether it's good or bad, that's a different thing, it's fashion."
Osaka continues to make the most of the platform the US Open provides to express herself, showing no signs of dialing back her creative fashion choices.
