Bow down: Naomi Osaka's US Open outfits are an adorable nod to her Japanese heritage
Overnight US tennis star Naomi Osaka made a triumphant return to the US Open after two years off the court following the birth of her daughter and did so in possibly the cutest tennis outfit we've seen since the Challengers press tour.
The four-time Grand Slam champion defeated Latvian, Jeļena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-2, advancing into the second round.
Osaka took to the court in a one-of-a-kind bright (some would say Brat) green ensemble, adorned with bows, ruffled and tulle details from head to toe. The outfit was designed by Ambush's Yoon Ahn, in collaboration with Nike with whom the designer is releasing a retro-inspired collection with.
The outfit consisted of a flouncy removable tulle tutu-style skirt, a sheer white windbreaker with a flowing statement bow on the back, a matching green visor and bow adornments across her headphones, trainers and bag - it's going straight on the mood board...
For the actual match, Osaka removed the skirt to reveal an equally adorable ruffled tennis dress with built-in shorts.
Speaking to the New York Times earlier this week, the tennis player referenced her Japanese heritage and admiration for the many style subcultures of Japan that played as inspiration for the look.
Osaka pulled style notes from the world of Lolita, a subculture that takes style cues from Rococo and Victorian-era dressing with bows, lace and frills abound.
'It’s about really owning the cutesy-ness and the girly-hood', designer Yoon Ahn told the New York Times.
'The inspiration for me was definitely Japanese, like Harajuku," Osaka told the publication. 'I remember one of the first times I went to Japan, I saw so many frills and so many bows.'
The designer also created a 'night-time' all-black version of the look for evening matches, a colour which Osaka finds power in, referring to it as her 'super-suit [colour]. I feel a little bit like Black Panther.'
Tomorrow, she'll face off against Czech powerhouse Karolina Muchova, but let’s be honest—no matter the score, Naomi Osaka is already winning, both on and off the court. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled because this champion is just getting started, and she’s doing it in style.
The Nike Women by Yoon collection is currently available to shop at endclothing.com in the UK from £40.
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