Naomi Osaka’s French Open fashion statements depend on wins to matter
“If you dress shabby, they remember the dress; if you dress impeccably, they remember the woman.” –Coco Chanel
As for Paris. As for the French Open.
That’s all the context needed to appreciate Naomi Osaka shedding her ceremonial black skirt and sleeveless beaded bodice to reveal a sequined gold play dress ahead of this week’s opening match at the Roland-Garros Complex.
Osaka was playing very well. With sensitivity. By tradition. With his opponents he summed up with victory in the first and second rounds.
Naomi Osaka comes to Court Suzanne-Lenglen to play a singles match against Laura Siegemund.
(THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)
It was clear that the four-time Grand Slam champion was playing with us all when she said of her dress: “It’s a very special design. You know how the Eiffel Tower sparkles at night? I think I look a bit like that.”
Countless LinkedIn pages say something about living at the intersection of sports and fashion. Osaka finds this crossroads in tennis tournaments around the world, looks both ways and boldly steps out onto the street.
At last year’s US Open, she adorned her ponytail with red roses and Labubu The tennis bag she calls Billie Jean Bling.
At the Australian Open in January, she entered the court wearing a turquoise and green tie-dye palette with flowing tendrils. Her face was hidden by a veil, a wide-brimmed hat and a white umbrella that she said was inspired by a picture of a jellyfish that thrilled her 2-year-old daughter.
Naomi Osaka hits the court in a jellyfish-inspired outfit ahead of her first round match at the 2026 Australian Open in Melbourne.
(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
It’s all great fun. But his continued fashion statements depend on his performance on the field. Osaka wins and gets another grand entry. He loses, no one cares what he wears on the way home.
Osaka shined at the US Open and reached the semifinals of the women’s singles. The 23rd-ranked player, who was also ranked 23rd, fell in a tight three-set match against Amanda Anisimova after upsetting Coco Gauff and Carolina Muchova.
The 16th-ranked player in Australia won two matches before withdrawing due to an abdominal injury she suffered during a three-set victory over Sorana Cîrstea.
Fast forward to the French Open. Osaka beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 to advance to the third round for the first time in seven years on Thursday and will face youngster Iva Jovic on Saturday.
What she will wear when she walks in is anyone’s guess. An effortless, stylish aesthetics course in Paris. To advance to the last 16 of the French Open for the first time, the opposite is required; Osaka is trying to take another step in her return to form after giving birth to her daughter.
And we’re creating another opportunity to have fun with fashion.
