Naomi Osaka made an impression on her first match at this year’s US Open. The Japanese player has elevated the fashion level in tennis, making another incredible entrance at this year’s tournament. She paid tribute to one of the great NBA icons with her look.
Osaka walked out on the court wearing a long white skirt and a gray hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings. When she removed her robe, she exposed her hair styled in cornrows under a headband, a tribute to Allen Iverson‘s signature look while playing for the Philadelphia 69ers. She completed the look with an arm sleeve, which Iverson also wore in his games.
While Osaka is known for her fashion inventiveness on the court, it’s a trend that’s grown increasingly popular in recent years. Aryna Sabalenka wore an orange dress for the tournament, referencing the Knicks, who won their first NBA Finals over the summer for the first time in 53 years.
© Getty ImagesNike wanted to champion basketball in New York
Osaka’s opening match was against Anastasia Zakharova, with Osaka winning in straight sets. After her match, she revealed that her inspiration was Iverson. Her outfit was designed by Nike, which also dresses Sabalenka and had a clear mission to pay tribute to basketball this year.
“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said: ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
© USTA via Getty ImagesShe also drew inspiration from Iverson’s status as a fashion icon.
“I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s kind of done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” Osaka continued. “I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”
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