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Naomi Osaka stood her ground in response to criticisms that she transformed the French Open into more of a ‘fashion show’ than a tennis tournament. The controversy erupted when Osaka made her entrance on the court, showcasing an ivory train attached to her ‘Eiffel Tower’ inspired dress.
Accusations came from her first-round opponent, who suggested that Osaka’s presence at Roland Garros was more about fashion than tennis. The Japanese tennis sensation initially appeared for her opening match in a flowing black skirt and corset, crafted from previous Nike match outfits. She then revealed a shimmering gold dress, which she described as reminiscent of the iconic French landmark illuminated at night.
Laura Siegemund of Germany, who faced Osaka in the first round, remarked, “I came here to play tennis, not put on a fashion show.” Despite the critique, Osaka’s focus seemed unshaken.
Osaka, who reportedly earns £7.5 million annually through her sponsorship with Nike, shared nighttime photos on social media. These images captured her in front of the sparkling Eiffel Tower, fully embracing the theme of her ensemble.
The defeated Siegemund, while not objecting to the design or the match outcome, voiced some discontent over the duration Osaka was allowed to remove her outer garments. She noted this in comparison to the limited time players usually have for more strategic and meaningful activities during matches.
‘I came here to play tennis, not to put on a fashion show,’ she told TNT Sports. ‘And if others want to put on a fashion show, then they should go ahead and do it. That’s totally fine with me.
For her second-round clash against Donna Vekic, Osaka walked out with a flowing beige skirt attached to the back of her dress and a warm-up jacket that matched her dress
Osaka was accused of not coming to Roland Garros ‘to play tennis’ by her first-round opponent after she arrived for her opening match in a flowing black skirt and corset
‘I find something else problematic. In our sport, at every tournament they count every second, right up until you’ve unpacked your water bottle. But she can have a minute-and-a-half to change. I have a problem with that, because these rules simply exist and they are what they are – every second is now being watched so closely for us.
‘And I also think that with performances like these, every second should be accounted for. That’s the only thing regarding the rules that I don’t think is OK and where, once again, bigger names are treated differently.’
The Japanese star is renowned for her high-fashion outfits at tournaments and had emerged on Court Suzanne-Lenglen for her first match in a black corset with matching skirt.
The black corset and skirt was designed by couturier Kevin Garmanier, who works with upcycled materials, and deconstructed Osaka’s old Nike competition outfits to create it.
The pleated black skirt was made using the inner layers of one of her jackets while her old tennis skirts and dresses were also cut up and reused. The outfit was then covered in hundreds of hand-applied crystals.
‘It’s just fun to watch designers work, especially when there is an already pre-existing thing that they have to design around,’ said Osaka, who admitted she brought back-up dresses to Roland Garros just in case as she was worried her golden Nike outfit might blind spectators.
‘When I first saw the dress in real life, I felt like I looked like the Eiffel Tower at night-time when it’s sparkling,’ she said. ‘And then I actually got a little worried, because when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot. I was a little scared that the umpire was going to kick me off the court.’
‘Sometimes people say athletes in show business or entertainers or whatever,’ said Osaka. ‘I feel like, for me, Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I’m an entertainer.’
When asked whether she has a new dress for every match, Osaka added: ‘You know, I like to keep people on their toes. I think it’s really fun. I feel like there’s a community that’s been built over my on-court outfits. I just like to keep you guys guessing. I really enjoy that you guys enjoy.’
On Tuesday Osaka’s opponent expressed her frustration at the time she was awarded to take off her outer garments
Osaka is renowned for catwalk entrances at Grand Slams and famously wore a jellyfish-inspired outfit at the Australian Open in January
She turned heads at this year’s Met Gala with a ‘skin-shedding’ performance on the entrance steps where she wore a white coat covered in red feathers to resemble blood
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Osaka is renowned for catwalk entrances at Grand Slams and famously wore a jellyfish-inspired outfit at the Australian Open in January.
The 28-year-old arrived at the Rod Laver Arena with a wide-brimmed hat with a white veil and parasol before warming up in a frilled jacket and dress that looked like tentacles.
At Indian Wells, she arrived on court with tribal-inspired jewellery over her lips, nose and ears alongside a black mesh and cheetah-print Nike dress, trainers and jacket.
And she turned heads at this year’s Met Gala with a ‘skin-shedding’ performance on the entrance steps where she wore a white coat covered in red feathers to resemble blood before removing it to reveal a blood-red and crystalled gown designed to look like exposed muscle, tendon and sinew.