Underneath the dramatic ensemble, Osaka revealed a sparkling gold tennis dress on the red clay
Naomi Osaka In action during the tennis Grand Slam in Paris.
Picture:
Alamy
The Japanese player glittered in an Eiffel Tower inspired outfit at the French open.
Naomi Osaka, 28, arrived to the tennis tournament in a Suzanne Lenglen dress with a black corset and cascading pleated skirt.
Underneath the dramatic ensemble, Osaka revealed a sparkling gold tennis dress on the red clay.
“I felt like I look like the Eiffel Tower at night-time,” said the tennis star.
“I actually got a little worried because, when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot. So I was a little scared that the umpire was going to kick me off the court.”
Watching Osaka’s entrance live on TNT Sports, top seed Aryna Sabalenka said: “This is sparkling. I love it. I love that she is expressing herself and feels confident.
Read More: Jannik Sinner wins fifth straight tennis Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid
Read More: Aryna Sabalenka profile: World number one chasing history, but still dogged by questions of allegiance
Naomi Osaka of Japan enters the court wearing a custom Nike black dress ahead of her first round match against Laura Siegemund.
Picture:
Getty
“That’s the beauty of the fashion world, there’s space for anything and I love that she’s bringing it on court.”
She did not have an easy time of it against the tricky Laura Siegemund but battled to a 6-3 7-6 (3) victory, while defending champion Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-0.
Aryna Sabalenka drew as much attention for her diamond jewellery as her performance in reaching the second round of the French Open.
The world number one, who is bidding to win her first title in Paris, did not look entirely comfortable in the hot conditions but overcame a couple of wobbles to claim a 6-4 6-2 victory over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Sabalenka is always a strong presence on court but she is unmissable this year with her Material Good jewellery set featuring diamond necklaces and a pair of earrings worth nearly 150,000 US dollars (approximately £110,000).
Naomi Osaka of Japan during her first round match.
Picture:
Getty
On Friday, the 28-year-old was a leading figure in the player protest calling for elevated levels of prize money from the grand slams, but she dismissed suggestions of hypocrisy.
“I don’t really see how it can be possible to cross these two completely different worlds,” she said.
“As I said before, prize money, it’s not about me at all. It’s just fighting for players, lower-ranked players who are really struggling to survive in this tennis world.
“So it has nothing to do with me that I’m fighting for the prize money. Everyone knows that I’m OK. It’s just that we are fighting for a fair percentage out of the revenues, and also for the lower-ranked players, players coming back after injuries, next generation, to be more comfortable coming into the top 10.”
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during the third day of the Roland-Garros French Open.
Picture:
Alamy
Sabalenka chose only to wear two of the three necklaces during the match, and insisted the jewellery is a help rather than a hindrance.
“I don’t really feel the heaviness of it, but I can imagine how it looks from the outside,” she said.
“It’s supposed to be the third necklace, but, I was, like, ‘OK, it’s kind of too much probably’, so I decided to keep it just two.
“I feel pretty comfortable. For me, it’s important to look good. If I feel good looking-wise, I perform better and I feel great.”
AloJapan.com