Naomi Osaka knows her fashion. She often wears fantastic clothing onto the court before a match, and then takes it off to show what she will be wearing when she plays. Part of the anticipation of watching an Osaka match is seeing how she will enter the court.
Ahead of her first-round match at the 2026 US Open, she wore a homage to basketball player Allen Iverson. Her outfit included a hooded grey robe and a long white skirt. Her hair was done in cornrows, which could be viewed under her headband.
The clothing went well with Aryna Sabalenka's orange outfit, which appeared to be in honor of the New York Knicks, who won the NBA title over the summer. (The US Open is played in New York, after all.) Iverson, it should be noted, didn't play with the Knicks during his storied career.
Naomi Osaka's outfits cover up a larger issue
But no matter what Osaka wears entering the court, such as her epic Japanese-inspired dress at this year's Wimbledon, it is ultimately more important what happens in her matches.
The results have been a bit better in 2026, but not elite. Since returning to tennis in January 2024 after a year-plus layoff to give birth and rightly focus on her mental health, the former WTA No. 1 hasn't won a tournament.
No matter how wonderful looks when Osaka comes on court, at the end of tournaments when she leaves the court, it isn't as the winner in the final match of the event. She needs to get better, but one might wonder if she ever will again.
Naomi Osaka steps on court making a statement for her 1st round match at the U.S. Open.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 1, 2026
The fashion.
The drama.
The one and only, Naomi Osaka. pic.twitter.com/4YmoPv4Q58
To be sure, she has reached three finals in the last two years (two in 2025 and one in 2026), and one was even at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open last year, but she seems to struggle with fitness in those matches. She wants to win even though he body might not be up to it.
Naomi Osaka is a fan-favorite in the world of tennis for good reasons. She is open about her emotions, which is refreshing when many feel as if they must keep their internal battles to themselves. She has a powerful game and has an internal fire. She's a four-time Grand Slam winner and has won seven tournaments overall.
But even though she has made deep runs at many recent tournaments, she doesn't seem capable of winning events currently. The same might be the case at the US Open. No matter how well she is dressed, eventually, she fails at reaching high-level success in the sport. Let's hope that changes for the better soon.
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