Naomi Osaka adapted her outfit but opted for another bold fashion statement ahead of her second-round match against Donna Vekic at the French Open.
Osaka, who is known for her love of fashion, made headlines for wearing a sequined gold playing dress for her first-round clash with Laura Siegemund on Tuesday, which was topped with a ceremonial black skirt and sleeveless beaded bodice.
The “fashion show” drew criticism from Siegemund after her 6-3, 7-6 defeat, with the German also claiming Osaka was breaking the rules with the amount of time it took her to remove the outer layer and be ready to warm up.
For the second-round encounter with Vekic at Roland Garros, Osaka retained the gold playing dress but this time topped it with a metallic gold bomber jacket and an ivory train reminiscent of a wedding dress.
open image in gallery
open image in galleryThe Japanese star received a raucous welcome from the fans who made it to Court Simonne-Mathieu in time for the walk-outs, with plenty of supporters keen to capture a picture on their phones, before she removed the train and jacket in order to hit-up with Vekic ahead of the clash.
She was pushed hard by 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist Vekic in the first set on Court Simonne-Mathieu but triumphed 7-6, comfortably winning the tiebreak 7-1, and then took the second set 6-4 to book her spot in the third round.
When asked about the new outfit in her post-match, on-court interview, Osaka said: “I like to keep people on their toes. I think it’s really fun. There’s a community that I feel like has been built over my on-court outfits, so I just like to keep you guys guessing. I really enjoy that you guys enjoy it.”
After her first-round win, Osaka said the gold dress was inspired by the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night and was keen to put on a show, although she was relieved her bold attire was indeed permitted.
“Athletes are in show business,” said Osaka after beating Siegemund. “Grand slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I’m an entertainer.
“I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense. When I first saw it [the dress], I felt like I look like the Eiffel Tower at night time when it’s bright.
“Then I actually got a little worried because when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot, so I was a little scared the umpire was going to kick me off the court. I got two back-up, normal dresses. Thankfully I didn’t have to wear them.”
open image in galleryWorld No 1 Aryna Sabalenka had been watching Osaka’s entrance for her first-round contest while at the desk on TNT Sports and gave her approval to the outfit.
“This is sparkling. I love it. I love that she is expressing herself and feels confident,” Sabalenka said. “That’s the beauty of the fashion world, there’s space for anything and I love that she’s bringing it on court.”
Osaka is the 16th seed at Roland Garros and despite being a four-time grand slam champion (two Australian Opens and two US Opens), she has never advanced past the third round at the French Open.
This is now the first time since 2019 that she has even made it as far as the third round and she can set a new career-best by beating 17th seed Iva Jovic to reach the second week for the first time.
“It means a lot to get this far,” added Osaka. “Thank you guys [the crowd] for staying and watching the match. I feel so grateful. It’s like another milestone, so hopefully I can keep playing more matches in front of you guys.”