Another day, another stunning Wimbledon outfit for Naomi Osaka.
After the four-time Grand Slam champion arrived for her opening match at the All England Club in an elegant, full-length kimono – entirely white to adhere to the tournament’s strict dress code – Osaka chose to “mix it up a little bit”.
Returning to action on Wednesday, the 28-year-old combined a white jacket with floral pattern with a long train that trailed behind her, attached to her waist by an obi – a large, decorative belt traditionally worn with a kimono.
Osaka stopped spectators and photographers in their tracks on her walk from the locker room to number two court.
Little over an hour later, she equalled her best Wimbledon run by beating Russian Anastasia Gasanova 6-3 6-2 to reach the third round.
“I feel like my inspiration can be anything,” said former world number one Osaka, who was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother and mostly grew up in Florida.
“I took a trip to Japan one day. Obviously, you go to Harajuku [a district of Tokyo famous for its fashion culture], and see everyone expressing themselves through clothes.
“It was just so cool and colourful. That stuck out to me a lot. I kind of used that in my fashion experimentation.
“I don’t really ever have a plan when it comes to clothes. I think it’s OK to try something and fail, but I’d rather just try it and see how it goes.”
Osaka will face Russian-born Australian Daria Kasatkina in the third round, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka a potential fourth-round opponent.
