Naomi Osaka turned her Australian Open entry into a ramp walk, and Aryna Sabalenka could not hold back from talking about her bold statement.

“Fashion is a beautiful world. Where you can express yourself fully, and there’s no judgement. This is how she sees it, and this is perfect for her, her culture, just for her personality. I would definitely do a cool red-carpet entrance."

Osaka stunned the Rod Laver Arena with her jellyfish-inspired Nike outfit. The outfit featured a floor-length veil, a wide-brimmed white hat, and an umbrella-shouldered green and blue ruffled Nike dress with a pleated white skirt and matching flared trousers.

The dress was designed by Robert Wun and carried a meaningful message. Osaka used the jellyfish theme because of her daughter’s love for them. And Wun was also inspired by the 2021 butterfly incident at the Australian Open, when a butterfly landed on Osaka’s face.

“We were just kind of in there in the studio like kids, just trying to figure it out. It was like a dance... It came together quite beautifully because I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here,” Osaka confirmed in her news conference, “Then it just felt like everywhere I looked the theme was water. Obviously, the walkout, you see oceans and waves. I thought that it was really beautiful.”

Her 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Antonia Ružić added to the moment.

For Naomi Osaka, Fashion Has Been Inspiring

“I grew up with the G.O.A.T.s of style, Serena, Venus, Sharapova”, Osaka had to say.

Fans remember her 2021 Serena styled one-legged Catsuit, which was a homage to Florence Griffith Joyner. Later on, the Magical Girl transformation 2024 at the US Open was another statement.

The jellyfish outfit is a continuation of the fashion legacy she started. And with more games to come, will we see Naomi Osaka turning the Australian Open into a fashion week?

Let us know what you thought of Osaka's performance and love for fashion!

Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar