Naomi Osaka brought her fashion-forward stylings on court in Tokyo, where she produced a first-round win over Jasmine Paolini.
Chris OddoOctober 27, 20262 minute read
Naomi Osaka brought her fashion-forward sensibilities to Tokyo, a tournament she had not visited in four years, and came away with an eye-catching win.
After walking on court in a stunning crane-themed outfit created by Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi, the four-time major champion defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-6(4) at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
It was a meaningful win on multiple levels for Osaka. She didn’t just deliver the fashion, she delivered a clutch performance that saw her save three set points at 5-6 in the second set before closing out the two-time Grand Slam finalist in a second-set tiebreak to improve to 31-12 on the season.
“I think it’s very much inspired by Japan. And actually, it’s the same designer who designed my Wimbledon outfit, so I was just really glad that she wanted to work with me again,” Osaka said.
“And also, you know, I feel like, for me, I haven’t been here in a little bit of a while, so it’s just nice to bring a bit of a show here, too.”
The blue-and-white creation featured embroidered cranes, a symbol of peace in Japanese culture and a personal nod to Osaka’s mother, who hails from Hokkaido.
The 2018 Tokyo runner-up played just one game at the event in 2022, in a bizarre turn of events that saw her advance when Daria Saville retired after one game, then withdraw before her next match.
Osaka won the tournament in 2019, but that edition was held in her birth city of Osaka. She also competed in Tokyo more recently, at the Billie Jean King Cup in 2024.
Tuesday’s appearance might be part one of the icing on the cake of a season marked by stunning walk-on attire at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Osaka’s willingness to push the envelope and bring her fashion sensibilities to the sport has been a major off-court storyline in women’s tennis.
She hinted that more looks could be coming this week.
Osaka, seeded seventh, will face Slovakian wild card Mia Pohankova in the second round. Elena Rybakina, the top seed in Tokyo, will face Yulia Putintseva.
