Naomi Osaka channeled former NBA star Allen Iverson before her US Open first-round victory over Anastasia Zakharova on Monday.
Osaka made her usual fashionable entrance for her tournament opener, which she won in straight sets. The two-time US Open champion emerged on to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a long, white skirt and a gray, hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her.
She then removed her hood revealing her cornrows under a headband, Iverson’s signature look when he was the NBA MVP while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. She also wore an arm sleeve, a look made popular by Iverson during his playing career.
Osaka is not the only Nike-sponsored athlete to wear a basketball-themed outfit at the US Open. World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is wearing an orange dress at the tournament, one of the colors of the New York Knicks, who won their first NBA title since 1973 in June.
“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said after her 7-6, 7-6 victory. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
Osaka wore a shirt with Iverson’s picture when she spoke to reporters on Saturday, praising the Hall of Famer as a fashion trailblazer.
“I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s kind done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” Osaka said on Saturday. “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.”
She added that she has never spoken to Iverson, but he posted a message to Osaka on his Instagram page on Monday, writing: “Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.”
Osaka has gained attention for her adventurous style at tournaments. At this year’s Wimbledon the Japanese star wore a kimono-inspired outfit. At January’s Australian Open she wore a jellyfish-themed outfit she said was inspired by her daughter’s bedtime stories.
