Most casual sports fans would be unaware of how hard Naomi Osaka has battled back this season to climb to World No. 24 in the WTA Rankings. Fans who just tune in to the Grand Slams are mostly aware of Osaka’s commitment to fashion in every Major tournament.
During Osaka’s first-round match on Tuesday night, she demonstrated both her improvement as a player and her unmatched fashion style. Osaka took the court in a ruby red Nike kit complete with matching headphones and a Labubu named “Billie Jean Bling.”
Osaka beat Greet Minnen in straight sets: 6-3, 6-4. Naturally, most of the questions in Osaka’s on-court interview and post-match press conference revolved around her stunning outfit for the final Grand Slam of the season.
The two-time US Open women’s singles champion takes the court!
Naomi Osaka faces Greet Minnen in Armstrong. pic.twitter.com/OxZJDuIBfp
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2025
After her victory, Osaka explained how the design process for her Nike kit started long ago, but her hair accessories were more of a chaotic situation that came together at the last moment.
“It was really elaborate, because the crystals are really hard to do on a performance outfit,” said Osaka. “I just thought it would be really fun to do a New York under the lights. I’m glad that my first match was a night match, because this outfit was really fun to play. This is my night outfit, so hopefully I’ll wear my day outfit next time.”
Osaka recounted a conversation she had with her hairstylist before admitting, “Obviously, the outcome is way better than I could have imagined.”
.@BillieJeanKing you’re going to love the name of @naomiosaka’s Labubu 😃 pic.twitter.com/rLMYfAD0YQ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 27, 2025
“I did always know I was going to take the hair off, because it is really heavy,” explained Osaka. “There were a couple of times that I played in braids, and even that was kind of borderline. So yeah, I just did it for the presentation.”
Osaka said the process was not hard, “But it always makes me excited for what’s coming up that people don’t know about. 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.”
Osaka improves to 28-12 on the season and will face unseeded American star Hailey Baptiste in the second round on Thursday, August 28.
The US Open singles runs through September 7. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated’s Serve on SI for all the most important news from the tennis court and beyond.
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