Naomi Osaka has long been known for wowing crowds with her outfits on court, but making it compatible with Wimbledon’s strict dress code required some special inspiration.
The four-time Japanese winner paid tribute to her country’s culture by attending her first match at the All England Club wearing an elegant long kimono, all white to comply with tournament rules.
It comes after the 28-year-old sparkled in a sparkling gold tennis dress that resembled the “Eiffel Tower at Night” at the French Open, and at the Australian Open in January she wore a striking jellyfish-inspired outfit.
“When I think about Wimbledon, it’s obviously all white. There’s obviously tradition in all of it,” Osaka explained after her 6-1 7-5 win over France’s Elsa Jacquemot.
“When I think about it, I think about my culture, my heritage, which is Japanese and Haitian.
“Then, if I dive deeper into Japanese culture, I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is the kimono. You don’t have to see the color of a kimono to know it’s a kimono.
“I don’t know, I also thought about my favorite films. I love Kill Bill. I remember falling in love with the character Lucy Liu.
“She has an all-white kimono, and I remember thinking that was really cool. Then everything went from there. It was my interpretation of it, but at the same time I gave a lot of respect and love to Japan.”