Naomi Osaka has a habit of doing things her own way. Four Grand Slams. A joyful return to tennis post-baby. And now, a masterclass in rocking a rewear that feels more like a triumphant encore than a repeat performance.
Rewears are notoriously tricky. Most stars quietly retire their outfits. Naomi, meanwhile, strolls into Madison Square Garden and proves that lightning can indeed strike twice, especially if you’re wearing a custom Yoon Ahn for Nike look that already set the internet buzzing the first time around.
© Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka of Japan is introduced before facing Aryna Sabalenka during the Garden Cup.
At the annual Garden Cup on Dec. 8 in New York, where she faced off against Aryna Sabalenka, the 28-year-old athlete didn’t leave with the win, but she walked out with the kind of fashion victory that earns a standing ovation. Osaka brought back her 2024 US Open ensemble, the one she debuted during her return to the court after welcoming her daughter in July 2023.
On Instagram, she teased the moment simply with: Tonight, NY. Then she stepped into the arena like a magical-girl-anime heroine. The bomber jacket with the oversized bow, the sculptural ruffled skirt, the mix of athletic edge and whimsical fantasy, the whole look transformed the tunnel walk into a runway moment, all before Anna Wintour executed the pre-match coin toss.
© Getty Images Anna Wintour stands at the net with Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka of Japan before their match at the Garden Cup.
The outfit itself comes in both white and neon green versions, but the silhouette remains pure Osaka energy. When Nike released it in August 2024, she described the vision as tapping into the idea of a magical girl. That sense of metamorphosis is central to her approach. Walking onto the court is more than a physical arrival; for Osaka, it’s a shift in spirit, in confidence, in playfulness.
© Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka of Japan reacts against Aryna Sabalenka.
Her connection to Japanese aesthetics runs deep. Before her US Open match last year, she told The New York Times that bows and frills remind her of her early experiences visiting Japan, where she was born before moving to the United States at age three.
Even if the ensemble doesn’t fit the traditional tennis uniform mold, she sees zero risk in the boldness of it. As she told the outlet, she grew up watching Serena Williams treat the removal of a warm-up jacket as a fashion reveal. Now Osaka is adding her own chapter to that legacy. She affectionately called the look her super suit, and honestly, the title fits.
In an interview with CNN during her Aug. 26 match against Greet Minnen at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Osaka gave a peek behind the curtain. Outfit planning, she said, isn’t hard, just thrilling. The fittings start months ahead.
© Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka attends the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks.
“[The process is] not hard, but it always makes me excited for what’s coming up that people don’t know about,” she explained. “So we always have fittings months and months in advance, and I know what next year is going to look like. That just kind of makes me excited to obviously do well so I can have a good court to wear these outfits on.”
“I definitely love to be involved in everything I do, whether it’s fashion or anything else,” Osaka told the press. “But I feel like being able to be a part of my tennis outfits gives me, I would say, a different strength.”
Her Garden Cup look proves that great rewear isn’t just about repeating an outfit. It’s about reviving a moment. Osaka brought back a piece of her story — motherhood, heritage, reinvention, spectacle — and let it breathe again under the arena lights.
AloJapan.com