On September 5th, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the crowd began cheering before Naomi Osaka emerged from the tunnel. The excitement stemmed not only from the third-round match at the US Open, but also from another question: What would Osaka wear?
No tennis player has changed the fashion landscape this year more than Osaka. At each Grand Slam tournament, she raised the bar to a new level. At the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, Osaka's appearances were like a fashion culmination.
She doesn't just wear custom-designed Nike apparel on the court, as she did with Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams. Nor does she simply imitate the runway walk of basketball or football players.
Osaka presented a collection by multiple designers, both celebrating New York fashion and paying tribute to past sports stars. Her appearances, taking place just days before New York Fashion Week, transformed Osaka into a new kind of influencer.
“We are truly entering a renaissance of tennis fashion, with more and more players embracing fashion, and Osaka at the forefront,” Sunita Kumar Nair, author of Ace: The Times & Style of Tennis , told The New York Times .
Osaka's training outfits included a classic caramel-colored Dolce & Gabbana dress. Photo: Sebastian Arriagada/The New York Times.