It was one of the most anticipated moments of Wimbledon’s opening day: Naomi Osaka’s on-court outfit.
The Japanese tennis star has attracted attention for her adventurous style, but questions have been raised about how well her outfit will adhere to Wimbledon’s strict rules and emphasis on tradition.
Osaka, 28, arrived on court to cheers and applause in a long, ruffled, floor-length dress inspired by Japanese ceremonial dress and, crucially, was all in white.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka arrived before her first round women’s singles tennis match in a dress embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms, and kanzashi hair decoration. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images
The dress, embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms, was created in collaboration with Tokyo designer Hana Yagi. She also wore a traditional kanzashi hair decoration.
The look consisted of seven different fabrics pieced together, including vintage kimonos and a traditional dress. wedding dress. It featured intricate embroidered cranes and cherry blossoms as well as traditional designs. obi belt. Underneath, Osaka wore a white Japanese-style Nike dress. kirigami paper cut with 3D floral motifs.
Osaka told reporters that Wimbledon’s emphasis on tradition inspired her to reflect on her own cultural heritage.
“I think about the most iconic silhouette, which to me is the kimono. You don’t have to see the color of the kimono to know it’s a kimono,” she said.
She also shared a surprising insight: “I remember absolutely falling in love with the character Lucy Liu (in Kill Bill). She has an all-white kimono and I remember thinking that was really cool and amazing. Then it went from there. It was like my interpretation of it, and I also gave a lot of respect and love to Japan,” she said.
She added that “wearing extravagant outfits” was a personal passion of hers and that she approached the designer directly rather than partnering with Nike. Her choice raised a lot of questions in the locker room from other players, and she watched as fans turned their bodies to get a better view as she walked onto the court. “I thought it was really fun,” she said, admitting that it added to the pressure “not to wear a ballgown and get eliminated in the first round.”
Osaka told British Vogue: “I love using fashion as a medium to tell stories. Every strike is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world. The fact that people care about it and look forward to what’s next is really cool too.”
Yagi said: “I wanted these clothes to exist in the moment before the performance. The walk surrounds Naomi at the ceremony, and the Nike uniform represents the athlete in competition. I thought of them as two chapters of one story.”
Naomi Osaka played France’s Elsa Jacquemot in a Nike dress adorned with seven dimensional flowers and bejeweled centers. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
Osaka, ranked 14th, ditched her long dress before facing France’s Elsa Jacquemot in a Nike dress adorned with flowers. Osaka’s outfit, which featured seven three-dimensional flowers with bejeweled centers, sold out within hours of its release last week.
Earlier, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) CEO Sally Bolton was asked about Osaka’s bold costumes. It didn’t bother her. “We’re very relaxed as long as it adheres to the all-white dress code,” she said.
Opening day started off disappointingly for homegrown talent. Two of Britain’s best players, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, were forced to withdraw due to injury.
Britain’s Alicia Dudeney lost to Alicia Parks of the United States in her first round women’s singles match on the first day of the Wimbledon Championships. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
The remaining six British opening players fared no better on court, with Mika Stojsavljevic, Alicia Dudeney, Max Basing, Harriet Dart, Cam Norrie, Mimi Xu and Oliver Tarvet all eliminated from the competition.
By 8:30am on the first day of the Championships, there were already 10,000 people queuing for Wimbledon, with some fans joining the queue on Saturday morning.
Bolton said the lines are becoming more popular because fans have more options for getting around and don’t have to rely on the subway. “We’re advising people, if they haven’t already traveled, not to travel because the line is essentially full,” Bolton said.
“I think back to that period post-Covid when we were a bit nervous that the queue might disappear and ironically the queue became increasingly popular during that period.
“But it’s also changed the way people travel and interact with things. Those of you queuing know that previously you had to arrive at the first tube to Southfields. But now with Lime bikes and other branded bikes available, people can join the queue much more easily by being a little further away rather than waiting for the first tubes.”
On the first day, thousands of tennis spectators queued in the warm sun, claiming that it was part of the fun. Photo: Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock
Those queuing told the Guardian they scoured social media for information on when to arrive to take their seats and insisted the hours-long wait was part of the fun.
Daria Wenger traveled from Beckenham, south-east London, and joined the queue at 2am on Monday. She slept with her husband and son in a tent. “The weather was kind to us—no rain, not too hot,” she said. “It takes time, but it’s fun. It’s extra fun.”
Lily and Kai Cheng flew from New York and arrived on Sunday at 18:00. They stayed at a hotel and ordered an Uber to arrive at 5am, turning to ChatGPT for advice.
“There were already 5,000 people ahead of us,” said Lilya. “We’re New Yorkers. We don’t like standing in lines for long, but this was so nice. It’s so organized.”
The couple are huge tennis fans and Wimbledon has been on their bucket list for over a decade. “Wimbledon is fairer for people who actually want to watch tennis. The US Open is about who has the most money, who can pay the highest price for that little ticket,” Kai said.
Meanwhile, Rene Sang and Joshua Sodergren took an Uber from Crystal Palace in south-east London at 4am and received their passes just before noon. “I think this is the most orderly line,” Sang said. “It’s just very well structured. I thought we’d have to do some more work on it, but it has bathrooms.”
The couple took to social media to plan their visit, arriving half an hour earlier than planned based on a Reddit tip. Their only disappointment was the absence of Raducanu, who pulled out of Wimbledon on Sunday with a leg injury.
Nino Bianco, 44, from Luton, left a local hotel in an Uber at 4am after missing out on tickets two years ago. “I just love the experience. The queue is like a ritual that lifts your spirits,” he said.
Hannah Stewart and Rosie McGahn, both 26, arrived at 7pm to set up camp for the night on Sunday after asking for advice on TikTok.
They were given numbers – 2200th in line – and pitched a tent for the night. “We got pizza and had a nice time,” Stewart said. They were woken up by stewards at 5am and lined up again.
Bolton, who is leaving his post at the end of the championship, said the club was adapting the way it managed queues due to its popularity. “We’ve got amazing matches, the sun is shining – you know, all those ingredients that make it so popular – but (the queue) is such an important part of what we do, so we’ll do everything we can to protect it.
“People are getting there earlier and earlier because they realize the travel dynamics have changed a little bit, so now you have to get here really early to get to the front of the line.”