Naomi Osaka was once again in good form on the courts at the US Open.
The tennis star wore the custom, ribbon-heavy outfit during her second-round loss to Czech Karolina Muchova, 6-3, 7-6 (5), at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night.
Osaka sported a white and green outfit decorated with plenty of ribbons during her first-round win over Latvian 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko on Tuesday, but this time she changed into a white and black outfit with a large white ribbon tied around her top and smaller ribbons on the backs of her shoes.
The Japanese tennis star worked with fashion designer Yoon Ahn to design day and evening outfits for her return to the US Open after a 15-month maternity leave.
This custom look also came with special walk-in wear for the match in Flushing.
“For me, the driving inspiration behind this look was to feel like a 'Magical Girl' on the court, which I guess is what you call it in Japanese.” Osaka said in a Nike statement.“When I step on the court, it's a transformational moment for me and it's so much fun to play in, so that's really what motivates me is to make sure that everyone who sees this outfit has that feeling.”
Osaka and Yoon before the tournament He told the New York Times Her look is said to be influenced by Japanese subculture.
“For me, the inspiration is definitely Japan, like Harajuku,” Osaka said. “I remember the first time I went to Japan and I saw a lot of frills and ribbons.”
It hasn't been an easy road back to the U.S. Open, a tournament she has won twice (2018, 2020) since returning from maternity leave.
Osaka fought hard against Muchova but ultimately lost in a second-set tiebreak, ending her run at Queen's.
