Naomi Osaka continued to turn heads at Wimbledon as she unveiled her latest look while equalling her best run at the Championships with a second-round win over Anastasia Gasanova.
After unveiling an all-white “Kill Bill” inspired kimono for her opening win over Elsa Jacquemot on Monday, Osaka wore a white jacket with floral decoration with a long rain which trailed behind her.
Four-time grand slam champion Osaka’s high-fashion walk-ons have been a theme of the tennis session, from her jellyfish-inspired look at the Australian Open to her shimmering gold dress at the French Open, which took inspiration from the Eiffel Tower at night.
At Wimbledon, Osaka has not been limited by the All England Club’s strict all-white dress code. The Japanese star describes herself as an introvert, but has explained that she feels more confident when she can step onto court while expressing herself through fashion.
open image in galleryOne of the notable aspects of Osaka’s early-round looks at Wimbledon is that the 28-year-old has needed to walk through the grounds to get out onto one one of the smaller show courts, passing through the crowds.
“I thought that was really fun just because I didn’t think anyone expected that,” Osaka said after her first-round win. “I could feel, like when I walked by someone, they would physically turn their whole body. I thought that was really fun. It was cool cause I heard some people say, Wow, that’s a really beautiful kimono and stuff like that. So it was nice.”
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open image in galleryOsaka said she plans to “shake things up” as she progresses through the tournament. The former Australian Open and US Open champion has never progressed past the third round at Wimbledon, and the 14th seed will attempt to break new ground at the Championships when she plays Daria Kasatkina on Friday.
“I do feel a little bit of nerves,” Osaka said. “Also I kind of want to make myself so used to that feeling that it doesn’t bother me anymore. I think the Australian Open was me throwing myself head first into it, with the umbrella and the hat and everything. Ever since then I’ve been pretty chill about it. I think we’ve been a little bit tamer.
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open image in gallery“My inspiration when it comes to fashion? I don’t know. I feel like my inspiration can be anything.
But I told this story before. I grew up in Florida for the most part when I was in my development years or whatever. Then I took a trip to Japan one day. Then obviously you go to Harajuku and you see everyone expressing themselves through clothes. It was just so cool and colourful. That stuck out to me a lot. I kind of used that in my fashion experimentation.
“I don’t really ever have a plan when it comes to clothes. I think it’s okay to try something and fail, but I’d rather just try it and see how it goes.”