Naomi Osaka's Custom 'Goth' US Open Look Is Her 'Best Outfit Ever' — Yes, Nike Does Ruffles!

Mar. 15, 2025

Naomi Osaka.Photo:Nike

Nike

Naomi Osakais making the tennis court her runway.

Ahead of the 26-year-old’s return to theUS Openon Tuesday, Aug. 27, the athlete unveiled her custom Nike competition look which she previously teased onThreadsas “the best outfit I’ve ever worn.”

This week, Osaka will walk onto the court in a black bomber jacket with a large white ribbon adorned on the back. Underneath, she’ll wear a black tennis dress with a smaller white bow around her waist and a tiered ruffle skirt. There are also small bows on the backs of her shoes.

The designer behind the look, Yoon Ahn, told the outlet that Osaka had shared Japanese subculture references in the early stages of their collaboration.

Naomi Osaka.Nike

“She sent me a few looks of this ‘Lolita’ goth thing she was really vibing at that moment,” Ahn said. “They go out and wear pink, frills, bows, lace. It’s about really owning the cutesy-ness and the girly-hood.”

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Ahn co-founded the Tokyo label Ambush in 2008 and started working with Nike in 2018. On Tuesday, Aug. 27, she releases an eight-piece collection of vintage tennis-inspired clothing for Nike Women.

In her interview with theTimes, Osaka also noted ballet as a source of inspiration for her US Open look. “Actually, my movement coach is a ballerina,” the athlete shared. “She’s also my mental coach. So maybe I was thinking about it subconsciously. Before I met her, I thought ballerinas were just flexible, but then I realized they’re all incredibly strong.”

Despite the fact that the ensemble is nontraditional for the sport, Osaka says she doesn’t think there is “anything risky” about it. “I think it’s a beautiful garment,” she says. “I’ve lived in the era when Serena [Williams] taking her jacket off was the reveal. So to maybe give someone else that experience, for me, is exciting.”

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Earlier this month, Osaka opened up about the “traumatic"birth of her first child,daughter Shai, whom she welcomed with rapperCordaein July 2023,

“I just wanna say, I’m not preggos, but if I was, I wouldn’t want many more,” she said viaTikTok videoin response to a comment on a previous video questioning if she was pregnant, “because giving birth was traumatic. But thank you, though, for your blessings.”

source: people.com