Naomi Osaka is three for three.
For the third consecutive Grand Slam, Osaka has arrived to her first-round match with her exceptional and innovative fashion sense. On Tuesday, the four-time Grand Slam champion walked onto Court 3 at the All England Club wearing a flowing kimono with intricate embroidery. Swinging sleeves complemented the fit.
After her 6-1, 7-5 win over Elsa Jacquemot, the seven-time WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz champion explained that the kimono was an homage to her Japanese culture and the Quentin Tarantino-directed martial arts blockbuster “Kill Bill.”
“For me, my Japanese heritage means a lot,” the 14th seed said in her on-court interview. “They say all white at Wimbledon, and I thought it would be really cool to come out in a kimono. I just get inspired by a lot of different things, and for me, one of my favorite movies is “Kill Bill.”
“So I really love Lucy Liu’s character, O-Ren Ishii, and she comes out in this really iconic white kimono. I always tell people I like to be like a video game character sometimes. I don’t want to be myself when I’m playing on the court. And I kind of try to embody her a little.”
In Melbourne back in January, Osaka walked onto the court in Rod Laver Arena wearing a gigantic hat decorated with butterflies, under a veil. She was also holding a parasol.
Then in late May at Roland Garros, she came out in a black corset and cascading skirt before revealing a Nike-designed layered gold dress that was striped with sequins. She also made an appearance at the Met Gala in New York City, rocking a sculpted ivory coat with red feathers, featuring open seams that exposed red crystals. She complemented that outfit with a matching oversized wide-brimmed hat.
Osaka, who has never been past the third round at Wimbledon, will look to equal her career-best result at the tournament in her next match, against World No. 225 Anastasia Gasanova. This will be their first career meeting.
AloJapan.com