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Naomi Osaka stunned the Australian Open, and tennis and fashion fans around the world, when she walked out in an unmissable custom couture outfit ahead of her first-round match against Antonia Ružić Tuesday.
The No. 16 seed, who won the opener 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in an impressive turnaround from a break of serve down in the final set, made a statement on the court. But by far the biggest was the one she made walking onto it, leaving fans on Rod Laver Arena gasping and cheering as she floated out in a Robert Wun design which, according to Vogue, took inspiration from the “beauty and elegance” of jellyfish and Osaka’s daughter, Shai’s, love of them.
Osaka turned the court into a fashion week runway as she debuted the look that she labeled “Wun of one” in a social media tease. A white-brimmed hat, floor-length veil and an umbrella shrouded a tie-dye green and blue ruffled Nike dress, sat over the top of a pleated white skirt and matching flared trousers.
Wun is a London-based couturier from Hong Kong, known for working with Ariana Grande, Beyonce and Lady Gaga. For Wun, Osaka, and their collaborators, the two-time Australian Open champion and former world No. 1, the collaboration is a moment of art imitating life.
“We were just kind of in there in the studio like kids, just trying to figure it out. It was like a dance,” Osaka said in her news conference.
Wun was inspired by an Osaka moment from her victorious campaign at the Australian Open in 2021, when a butterfly landed on Osaka’s face during a third-round match against Ons Jabeur.
Wun later began to incorporate delicate, feathered butterflies into his designs. Most recently he made a pink dress covered in butterflies for “Wicked” actor and pop star Grande. And his latest work for Osaka, a four-time major champion, featured white butterflies on both the brimmed hat and parasol accessory.
Osaka has long been at the vanguard of tennis and fashion. And players have long been synonymous with certain kits, from Björn Borg’s Fila outfit and Serena Williams‘ catsuit to Roger Federer’s monogrammed blazers, and luxury brands have coveted its biggest stars as ambassadors, but the business of tennis and the business of fashion and beauty have never been as indivisible as they are now.
At the 2024 US Open, Osaka wore a green day outfit and a black-and-white night outfit, the latter adorned with a flowing bow; a year later in New York, she dazzled again, this time in a red-jeweled outfit with crystal faux roses in her hair for the daytime, and a purple outfit with crystals sewn in for night sessions. The French Open brought a pink ensemble inspired by Sakura season in her native Japan. Even at Wimbledon, with its limiting all-white dress code, Osaka brought couture on-court with past outfits, one of which, in 2024, was teamed with Louis Vuitton jewellery.
“It came together quite beautifully because I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here,” Osaka said in her news conference.
“Then it just felt like everywhere I looked the theme was water. Obviously the walkout, you see oceans and waves. I thought that it was really beautiful.”
Osaka’s individuality — and ability to express it in partnership with Nike — also underscores how the brand is limiting custom kits in tennis. In a news conference in at the WTA Tour Finals last November, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka half-jokingly expressed displeasure at her lack of custom kits for 2026, suggesting that she may have more creative control in 2027.
Osaka’s place at the forefront of tennis fashion follows many stars who defined it during their careers. Serena Williams not only won 23 Grand Slam titles, but pushed fashion in the sport forward, from iconic catsuits to her glittering farewell look at the US Open in 2022. Venus, who won seven Grand Slam titles, has a degree in fashion design.
Maria Sharapova’s 2006 U.S. Open dress, inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and sewn with Swarovski crystals, was one of the first “night session” outfits in tennis and the distinction between day and night outfits paved the way for huge evolution in the sport.
“I grew up with the G.O.A.T.s of style, Serena, Venus, Sharapova,” Osaka said.
In 2026, Nike has shrunk its focus to star names on the men’s and women’s tour. And when it comes to custom, high-fashion outfits, Osaka has the monopoly — which she proved again on a summer’s night in Melbourne.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Sports Business, Culture, Tennis, Women's Tennis
2026 The Athletic Media Company
Continue reading...
The No. 16 seed, who won the opener 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in an impressive turnaround from a break of serve down in the final set, made a statement on the court. But by far the biggest was the one she made walking onto it, leaving fans on Rod Laver Arena gasping and cheering as she floated out in a Robert Wun design which, according to Vogue, took inspiration from the “beauty and elegance” of jellyfish and Osaka’s daughter, Shai’s, love of them.
Osaka turned the court into a fashion week runway as she debuted the look that she labeled “Wun of one” in a social media tease. A white-brimmed hat, floor-length veil and an umbrella shrouded a tie-dye green and blue ruffled Nike dress, sat over the top of a pleated white skirt and matching flared trousers.
Wun is a London-based couturier from Hong Kong, known for working with Ariana Grande, Beyonce and Lady Gaga. For Wun, Osaka, and their collaborators, the two-time Australian Open champion and former world No. 1, the collaboration is a moment of art imitating life.
“We were just kind of in there in the studio like kids, just trying to figure it out. It was like a dance,” Osaka said in her news conference.
Wun was inspired by an Osaka moment from her victorious campaign at the Australian Open in 2021, when a butterfly landed on Osaka’s face during a third-round match against Ons Jabeur.
Wun later began to incorporate delicate, feathered butterflies into his designs. Most recently he made a pink dress covered in butterflies for “Wicked” actor and pop star Grande. And his latest work for Osaka, a four-time major champion, featured white butterflies on both the brimmed hat and parasol accessory.
Osaka has long been at the vanguard of tennis and fashion. And players have long been synonymous with certain kits, from Björn Borg’s Fila outfit and Serena Williams‘ catsuit to Roger Federer’s monogrammed blazers, and luxury brands have coveted its biggest stars as ambassadors, but the business of tennis and the business of fashion and beauty have never been as indivisible as they are now.
At the 2024 US Open, Osaka wore a green day outfit and a black-and-white night outfit, the latter adorned with a flowing bow; a year later in New York, she dazzled again, this time in a red-jeweled outfit with crystal faux roses in her hair for the daytime, and a purple outfit with crystals sewn in for night sessions. The French Open brought a pink ensemble inspired by Sakura season in her native Japan. Even at Wimbledon, with its limiting all-white dress code, Osaka brought couture on-court with past outfits, one of which, in 2024, was teamed with Louis Vuitton jewellery.
“It came together quite beautifully because I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here,” Osaka said in her news conference.
“Then it just felt like everywhere I looked the theme was water. Obviously the walkout, you see oceans and waves. I thought that it was really beautiful.”
Osaka’s individuality — and ability to express it in partnership with Nike — also underscores how the brand is limiting custom kits in tennis. In a news conference in at the WTA Tour Finals last November, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka half-jokingly expressed displeasure at her lack of custom kits for 2026, suggesting that she may have more creative control in 2027.
Osaka’s place at the forefront of tennis fashion follows many stars who defined it during their careers. Serena Williams not only won 23 Grand Slam titles, but pushed fashion in the sport forward, from iconic catsuits to her glittering farewell look at the US Open in 2022. Venus, who won seven Grand Slam titles, has a degree in fashion design.
Maria Sharapova’s 2006 U.S. Open dress, inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and sewn with Swarovski crystals, was one of the first “night session” outfits in tennis and the distinction between day and night outfits paved the way for huge evolution in the sport.
“I grew up with the G.O.A.T.s of style, Serena, Venus, Sharapova,” Osaka said.
In 2026, Nike has shrunk its focus to star names on the men’s and women’s tour. And when it comes to custom, high-fashion outfits, Osaka has the monopoly — which she proved again on a summer’s night in Melbourne.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Sports Business, Culture, Tennis, Women's Tennis
2026 The Athletic Media Company
Continue reading...
