Naomi Osaka didn’t simply play underneath the lights — she sparkled.
The 2-time US Open champion, 27, made a racquet at her first-round look on the tennis event Tuesday night time, hitting the courtroom in an array of customized bedazzled equipment and a glittering Nike outfit.
Osaka made her grand entrance in a ponytail adorned with a dozen jeweled crimson roses, matching headphones and a crystal-covered Labubu doll cheekily nicknamed “Billie Jean Bling.”
Osaka’s longtime hairstylist Marty Harper styled her braids and ponytail whereas the blinged-out equipment got here courtesy of A-Morir, the luxurious eyewear and accent line by designer Kerin Rose Gold.
The glowing roses had been 3D printed, per the model’s Instagram, and the crystal-covered headphones featured metallic roses imported from Japan.
Her Labubu even had a crystal-covered blue racquet to match her personal, with A-Morir promoting related charms (with out the customized tennis tie-in) for $495.
The label is not any stranger to assertion sparkle, having created bespoke crystal-laden items for stars like Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Chappell Roan, the latter of whom rocked A-Morir rhinestone-encrusted coat and sneakers on the 2025 Met Gala crimson carpet.
After profitable the match in opposition to Belgian opponent Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4, Osaka advised reporters she began conceptualizing the glittering look along with her glam crew a couple of weeks in the past.
“I used to be like, ‘Do you assume that is doable?’” she stated. “We sort of simply toss concepts round. Clearly, the result is means higher than I might have imagined.”
Of the complete outfit, which included a coral-red zip jacket, matching crystal-studded tank high, and voluminous bubble-hem skirt, she defined the design course of started a lot earlier.
“It was actually elaborate, as a result of the crystals are actually onerous to do on a efficiency outfit,” the No. 23-seed stated. “I simply thought it might be actually enjoyable to do a New York underneath the lights. I’m glad that my first match was an evening match, as a result of this outfit was actually enjoyable to play. That is my night time outfit, so hopefully I’ll put on my day outfit subsequent time.”
She eliminated the waist-length ponytail for the sport, enjoying along with her hair in a braided bun.
“I did at all times know I used to be going to take the hair off, as a result of it’s actually heavy,” she defined. “There have been a few instances that I performed in braids, and even that was sort of borderline. So yeah, I simply did it for the presentation.”
Finally yr’s event, the tennis professional leaned on bows and ruffles as nods to femininity, resilience, and her Japanese heritage, carrying two customized seems from Ambush’s Yoon Ahn, created in collaboration with Nike.
She didn’t skimp on equipment then, both, pairing the ensembles with ruffled Beats headphones and a smattering of pearls adorning her hair.
“I wouldn’t mechanically affiliate myself with being girlish after I’m on the courtroom, however I are likely to gravitate towards actually stunning and cute issues,” Osaka advised The New York Occasions of her Harajuku-inspired ensembles. “I believe there’s one thing fairly cool in making that an emphasis, particularly right here in New York. In New York, the tennis courtroom is extra like a stage.”
