Naomi Osaka turned heads at the US Open before she even hit a ball on Monday night. The two-time champion arrived at Arthur Ashe Stadium in a dramatic look inspired by NBA legend Allen Iverson. Her custom outfit blended tennis, basketball, and New York streetwear, making another major entrance feel like a statement.
Osaka then had to match that attention with a difficult first-round test against Anastasia Zakharova. She did exactly enough, surviving two tight tiebreak sets to move into the second round. The result kept focus on her comeback, while her fashion choice showed why Osaka remains one of tennis’ biggest style voices.
Osaka made Iverson’s influence impossible to miss
Osaka’s entrance centered on a custom Who Decides War ensemble styled by Law Roach. She wore a distressed sleeveless hoodie with a newspaper-style collage of career moments over a white lace skirt, creating a theatrical entrance.
The basketball reference became clearer underneath. Osaka wore cornrows, sweatbands, and a black Nike playing outfit with a basketball-inspired design. The look drew heavily from Allen Iverson’s style and identity as a basketball and cultural icon.
Nike’s US Open collection was basketball-inspired, giving Osaka the opportunity to build her tribute around Iverson. Her opening-night look incorporated elements associated with Iverson’s signature style while adapting them to tennis.
The look carried a bigger New York connection
Osaka’s choice also made sense for the setting. She has repeatedly treated the US Open as a stage where her clothing can reflect the energy around Flushing Meadows, and this year’s look leaned into New York’s long relationship with streetwear and basketball culture.
Vogue reported that Osaka wanted the outfit to capture the eclectic energy of New York while fitting the tournament’s basketball-inspired direction. The result connected her personal fashion language with a city where sports and style often overlap.
That matters because Osaka’s major-tournament outfits have become part of the event itself. Her fashion choices can create a conversation before her match begins, while also giving her another way to express her personality.
Her US Open story is about more than fashion
Osaka entered this tournament as a four-time Grand Slam champion and a two-time US Open winner, while her recent career has included a return to competition after maternity leave. She reached the US Open semifinals in 2025 and the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2026, showing that she remains capable of making deep Grand Slam runs.
The opening win was therefore useful beyond the scoreboard. Osaka got through a demanding match while also giving fans another memorable chapter in the fashion story she has created across recent majors.
After defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in the second round on September 3, Osaka advanced to the US Open third round, where she will face Elise Mertens.
Fun fact: Iverson was the first 76ers player to win the NBA MVP award since Moses Malone in 1983. He received 93 of the 124 first-place votes in the 2000-01 MVP voting.
Osaka backed up the entrance with a gritty win
Once the fashion moment ended, Osaka had to deal with Zakharova, and the match was considerably tighter than the straight-sets result might suggest. The 13th seed won 7-6(6), 7-6(3), with Zakharova pushing her into tiebreaks in both sets.
Osaka admitted afterward that she felt nervous and rusty. She had not played since Toronto, where she reached the quarterfinals before losing to Elena Rybakina, and she had also withdrawn from Cincinnati because of fatigue.
Her serve became especially important during the match. Osaka hit 11 aces, including 10 in the second set, while fighting through several difficult moments to close out the victory.
Osaka’s fashion era keeps evolving
The Iverson tribute was notable because it continued a pattern rather than appearing out of nowhere. The WTA noted that Osaka delivered another innovative first-round entrance for the fourth consecutive major, reinforcing how deliberately she has made fashion part of her Grand Slam identity.
Earlier this season, her major outfits drew on diverse cultural and visual influences, including Japanese-inspired designs and other themed creations. At the US Open, she found a particularly strong bridge between her own identity, Nike’s basketball direction, and Iverson’s legacy.
The most interesting part is that Osaka’s outfit did not distract from the tennis. The style may have started the conversation, but her survival in Arthur Ashe Stadium kept it moving.
Fun fact: Iverson was selected No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in the 1996 NBA Draft and was named NBA Rookie of the Year that season, beginning a career that eventually earned him Hall of Fame honors.
TL;DR
- Naomi Osaka wore a custom Allen Iverson-inspired look before her US Open opener.
- The outfit featured cornrows, sweatbands, arm sleeves and a basketball-inspired Nike playing kit.
- Osaka beat Anastasia Zakharova 7-6(6), 7-6(3) in a tight first-round match.
- She hit 11 aces, including 10 in the second set.
- Osaka defeated Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in the second round and advanced to face Elise Mertens.
- The look continued Osaka’s run of memorable Grand Slam fashion statements.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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