At Wimbledon this week, Naomi Osaka walked on to court wearing frills, a bustle, outsized bows and extended sleeves. Based on Japan’s ceremonial dress, as well as Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, the pieces designed by Hana Yagi conformed to the all-white Wimbledon dress code but the first one was so high-fashion that it debuted on Vogue before it was seen near a tennis court.
Osaka, who in January went viral at the Australian Open for wearing an outlandish design with mega-pleats based on the look of a jellyfish, is leading the way when it comes to experimental “walk-on fits”. But other players have also used the moment to make sartorial statements, not least Frances Tiafoe who did a surprise reveal – dramatically ripping off his trousers to show the shorts underneath.
Worn just before the match and part of the way a player will present to their opponent, there are bragging rights that come with having a designer create a custom-made look to wear for mere minutes.
Marty Harper worked with Osaka on her outfits. Although he could “never speak to how Naomi feels”, he imagines “it becomes armour, I imagine it becomes power”.
Sunita Kumar Nair, the author of new book Ace: The Times & Style of Tennis, thinks these looks “can obviously intimidate the opponent … when you look to nature, animals tend to enlarge their bodies, or their colouring or their feathers in order to steer off any kind of predator”.
Claire-Marie Roberts, a sports psychologist, says wearing an outfit like this will improve self-confidence. “From a psychological perspective, it is the single biggest predictor of your ability to attain your goals,” she says. “If you are doing anything to bolster that going into a tournament, and you are within the realms of the rules, it’s pretty clever.”
But, while Roberts agrees these outfits are likely to intimidate an opponent, Coco Gauff plays down any sporting impact. “Once the match starts, I’m focused on the game and playing the best tennis I can,” she says. “There are so many things happening on court that an outfit isn’t something I’m paying attention to for very long.”
There are less outlandish walk-on outfits at Wimbledon – because it is also a photo opportunity for players to showcase brands they work with. Jannik Sinner and Serena Williams this week wore eye-catching mesh and semi-see-through jackets by Nike, and Sinner sent shock waves through tennis in 2023 when he wore a beige Gucci bag – in violation of Wimbledon’s all-white dress code. Meanwhile, on Monday, Gauff debuted her girly, retro collaboration with New Balance and Miu Miu – Gen Z’s favourite designer brand – which she wore on court, too.
“It’s all about branding and commerciality,” says Daniel-Yaw Miller, the writer of sport and style substack SportsVerse, of the walk-on outfit. This works whether it’s experimental fashion or more straightforward endorsement.
“Osaka has been one of the most spoken-about players on the tour in recent years, even in the absence of winning tournaments or being in the best form of her life,” says Miller. “Connectivity to fashion and to brands helps diversify an athlete’s appeal and open them up to deals and exposure in various other realms outside tennis.”
Gauff confirms this. “Right now my priority is always competing and continuing to improve as a player,” she says. “But I’d love to keep building relationships in the fashion world and see where those opportunities take me.”
Sports stars are, in 2026, more than just people who are good at hitting or kicking a ball – as the likes of Williams and Lionel Messi have proven, they can become brands, and shift units. The walk-on look is – well – walking towards this.
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“Future generations seriously look to sports players,” says Nair. “These are real-life superheroes. For players who do want to embrace that side of them … it’s a very useful and powerful way to communicate who they are and also a way in which their fans can replicate what they’re wearing on court.”
Yagi, who made the designs for Osaka in three weeks, says: “Sport is often discussed in terms of results and rankings. Before all of that, though, every athlete has their own story … expressing those things has become part of the performance itself.”
But not all players are fully onboard with the walk-on outfit becoming a moment. At the French Open, Osaka’s opponent Laura Siegemund, defeated in straight sets, said she was “not here for a fashion show”.
This week, the American tennis player Taylor Fritz arrived for his first round at Wimbledon in all-white tailoring after it was suggested by his sponsor, Boss. Speaking after the match, which he won, he expressed relief. “You show up in a full outfit and get snipped in the first round, you kind of look stupid,” he said, adding: “They’re my sponsor. They wanted me to do it. I thought the outfit looked good. I couldn’t really back out of it.”
However some might feel, Met Gala-worthy looks are now a part of tennis. Asked if she thinks other players will follow Osaka’s lead, Roberts says: “Yes”.
“And, as my mum used to say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.”
