Naomi Osaka returned to tennis in Indian Wells with a bang.
Walking on court with unique gold jewelry over her face and a leopard print outfit, Osaka certainly made an entrance.
It wasn’t the first time she made headlines this year, as Osaka’s Australian Open outfit was an all-timer.
What do you think about Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open outfit?
After beating Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva 7-5, 6-2, in her opener, Osaka revealed the meaning behind her Indian Wells outfit.
Naomi Osaka says Indian Wells outfit was inspired by Naomi Campbell’s cheetah photo
During her post-match press conference, Osaka shared the inspiration behind her outfit.
“Okay, so get ready for my long spiel,” she said.
“So obviously the base of the outfit was leopard print.
“Then, when I was kind of diving deeper into it, we were thinking, okay, leopard in the desert.
“Then there is that iconic photo of Naomi Campbell running with the cheetah, right?
“I was, like, okay, do I want to tell a story like this, but, obviously, based on who I am, my leopard is more like a huntress, like I’m hunting something, there is something I want to go get.
“Then we kind of morphed into the story of, like, there is a desert, there are dunes, there is a leopard, but with the desert, like — crazy, now we’re, like, Mad Max.
“Then we’re like, okay, huntress, hunting, there is the story of pursuing something, and then we just kind of built the world in there.”
Osaka was then asked if the gold jewelry was also part of the story.
“Yeah,” she said.
The four-time Grand Slam champion also said whether she was adopting a ‘look good, feel good’ attitude.
“Yeah, I mean, I would definitely say obviously if I wear these outfits, I want to stay in the tournament for a long time, and I do believe in, like, look good, feel good,” said Osaka.
“But I think for me, when I’m developing the kits or designing stuff with Nike, I love telling stories.
“So when I was a kid, I loved, like, creating sketches and kind of designing the world where that character came from.
“For me, that’s something that I’m really grateful that I can do and that people are interested in.
“Yeah, I would say it’s fun for me to get through the rounds and be asked questions about it.”
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Osaka is likely to be asked a few more questions this week as she looked mightily impressive against Jimenez Kasintseva.
She’ll now prepare to take on Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the third round.
Naomi Osaka’s outfits have helped restore her starpower
Between 2018 and 2021, Osaka won four Grand Slam titles and held the world number one ranking for 25 weeks.
- 2018 US Open
- 2019 Australian Open
- 2020 US Open
- 2021 Australian Open
However, since winning the Australian Open in 2021, Osaka hasn’t won another WTA title.
The Japanese athlete spent time away from the sport, giving birth to her daughter, dropping down the rankings.
Returning in 2024, it took Osaka time to find her footing, but she’s now starting to look like the player she once was.
Add in her extravagant outfits, and Osaka’s matches have become unmissable.
Whenever she steps on court for a new tournament, you have no idea what she’s going to be wearing.
An umbrella, a veil, gold jewelry on her face… It’s a mystery!
Making the outfits a part of the ‘Osaka experience’, the former world number one could bring in a whole new wave of fans to the sport.
Tennis and fashion have long been intertwined, but not to this degree.
Only time will tell what she has in store for the Miami Open next month…
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