Naomi Osaka’s Bold US Open Outfit Inspired by NBA Legend Allen Iverson: “It’s My Tribute to Him”

Naomi Osaka made another fashion statement, this time at the US Open. Osaka, who loves to express herself through avant-garde fashion, channelled her inner Allen Iverson when she entered the court for her first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova.

On Monday (August 31), amid loud cheers from the crowd, Osaka, hands in pockets, walked onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a white hoodie robe and a long skirt, a custom Who Decides War outfit. The outfit also included newspaper clippings from different moments of her career.

Osaka also styled her hair in neat cornrows, a look heavily inspired by the basketball great. Underneath the outer layer, Osaka sported a black Nike match outfit.

It’s my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot. Nike said, ‘basketball.’ So I said, OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball. I love expressing myself through clothes, I don’t like talking that much, I tell people. So, I’m glad you guys appreciate it, and I’ll see you guys in the next round.

Naomi Osaka said during her on-court interview

Also, in her pre-tournament press conference, she entered the press room donning a shirt with Iverson’s picture. She called him a “trailblazer”, saying he is someone she looks up to a lot because of what he has done in fashion, and that he has “shifted the way NBA players dress“.

Naomi Osaka’s Allen Iverson inspired look for the 2026 US Open has so many details.

Whether you love it or hate it, no one is doing fashion in tennis like her.
pic.twitter.com/50PUF7F30X

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 1, 2026

Osaka, however, has never communicated with Iverson, who took to his Instagram and wrote: “Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.“

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A post shared by Allen Iverson (@theofficialai3)

Osaka donned a stunning outfit at the Australian Open this year inspired by jellyfish, while for the French Open, she wore a shimmering golden kit and joked that she felt like the Eiffel Tower. For Wimbledon, she chose a Japanese traditional kimono-inspired white dress.

Naomi Osaka on why she didn’t play the Cincinnati Open

Naomi Osaka has been enjoying decent form on the North American hard-court swing as she made deep runs in the two warm-up events she played before entering Flushing Meadows. She reached the semifinal of the Citi Open, where eventual champion Alexandra Eala clinched a straight-set win.

Later at the Canadian Open, the former World No.1, also a runner-up in the event last year, lost to eventual runner-up Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinal. But she chose to skip the Cincinnati Open. At the pre-tournament press conference in New York, Osaka revealed the reason behind her decision not to play the WTA 1000 event in the Ohio city.

I mean, I do feel like I’ve played a lot of matches. And honestly, this is the surface that I’m most comfortable with, but I think like people forget my main job is to be a mom. This [tennis] is like kind of my side hustle a little bit. I just happen to be really good at it. But yeah, my daughter, she needed me to be at home, so that I mean, that’s just what I felt like was the priority.

Osaka will next be locking horns with Katerina Siniakova in the second round. The Czech ace defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her first-round match.

Osaka is a two-time champion in the New York Major, winning in 2018 by beating Serena Williams and in 2020 by beating Victoria Azarenka. Last year, eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova beat her in the semifinals.

The only time Osaka played a quarterfinal in Majors this year was at Wimbledon, where eventual runner-up Karolina Muchova beat her. Osaka hasn’t yet won a title since winning the 2021 Australian Open. But since then, she has played four finals, including in Bad Homburg this year, losing the match to Muchova.

Also read: Justine Henin Sounds the Alarm Bells on Novak Djokovic’s Future After US Open Exit: “Best is Behind Him”