Although her tennis in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday looked flawless, it was Naomi Osaka’s look – with roses in her hair and Labubu accessories – that drew the most attention in New York.
In her match against Greet Minnen at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Osaka took to the court with a glowing red accent: red roses in her hair, sparkling red headphones, and a crystal-studded jacket.
After the victory, Osaka shed most of the roses and the red jacket, but her athletic outfit stayed on point and allowed her to beat Minnen 6-3, 6-4.
«I thought: “Is this possible?” Maybe it was two weeks ago,» the 27-year-old athlete said after the victory. «Yes, we sometimes come up with ideas. Obviously, the result is much better than I could have imagined.»
– 27-year-old athlete
She also explained that the look had been planned for years, but the idea of the hair being “a little chaotic” emerged a few weeks ago after conversations with her stylist.
«This was truly elegant, as crystals are very difficult to use on a performance outfit.»
– 27-year-old athlete
“I thought it would be a lot of fun to do this in New York under the spotlight. I’m glad my first match was at night, because this look was very interesting for the game. This is my night look, so I hope next time I’ll show a daytime one. But yes, it was definitely very detailed.”
«The process isn’t hard, but it always inspires me about what lies ahead, what people don’t yet know.»
– 27-year-old athlete
Additionally, on the court appeared her own mascot Labubu – a fluffy, cartoonish character with sharp teeth, attached to her bag, adorned with red and gold crystals and holding a sparkling blue tennis racket.
«Her name is Billie Jean Bling. Not Billie Jean King. Billie Jean Bling.»
– 27-year-old athlete
After the victory Osaka also noted the audience’s reaction to Billie Jean Bling: “I’m glad she made everyone laugh today.”
«Glad that she had everyone laughing today.»
– 27-year-old athlete
A New Phase for the Team and Future Plans
At Flushing Meadows Osaka welcomed a new member to her team – coach Tomas Viktorovsky, who previously worked closely with six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek. She also holds the 23rd seed in the tournament and in the second round will face American Hailey Baptiste.
AloJapan.com