Naomi Osaka survived a major scare to win her opening round match at the 2026 Australian Open after she made a fashion statement with her entrance that left fans and pundits stunned.
The two-time Australian Open champion, who is seeded 16th, prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 against world No 65 Antonia Ruzic in two hours and 24 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Osaka looked in danger of suffering a sizeable upset when she was down a break at 3-4 in the deciding set, but she won the last three games to book her spot in the second round.
The Japanese superstar walked out onto Rod Laver Arena wearing a spectacular outfit, with a white veil, hat, umbrella, skirt and pants added to her turquoise and green Nike top.
What has Naomi Osaka said about her outfit?
In her on-court interview after beating Ruzic, Osaka explained that her outfit was jellyfish-inspired, and that she had designed it in collaboration with the fashion designer Robert Wun.
“Yeah, so actually, Nike let me design this one,” said the former world No 1.
“And it’s modelled after a jellyfish. Yeah, I’m just so grateful that I get to be able to do the things that I love and yeah, it’s really beautiful. And shout out Robert Wun for doing this for me.”
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The four-time major winner also revealed that the hat and umbrella were influenced by a moment a butterfly landed on her face at the 2021 Australian Open.
“There’s a butterfly on my hat and on the umbrella too. And it has to do with the Australian Open that I won in 2021, which I guess is a long time ago,” the 28-year-old added.
In an interview with Vogue, Osaka explained that her two-year-old daughter, Shai, had inspired the outfit with her reaction to a jellyfish in a book.
“There was an image of a jellyfish, and when I showed it to her, she got so excited,” Osaka said.
“It translated beautifully into the movement and fluidity of the sheer layers on the dress and the jacket.”
What did pundits say about Naomi Osaka’s outfit?
Former British tennis stars Laura Robson, Tim Henman and Anne Keothavong reacted to Osaka’s walk-on outfit on TNT Sports.
Laura Robson: “Wow, I mean I love it. This is a moment. It’s a vibe.”
Tim Henman: “I’m not qualified to comment. Wow… I am speechless.”
Anne Keothavong: “She’s making a statement, isn’t she? I’ve never seen anything quite like it. That is the ultimate walk-on.”
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Who will Naomi Osaka play next at the Australian Open?
Osaka will play world No 41 Sorana Cirstea in the second round at Melbourne Park.
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