Naomi Osaka has become a trendsetter on the professional tennis circuit.
The Japanese star, a winner of four Grand Slam titles, has wowed tennis fans across the globe with her extravagant entrances at Grand Slam events.
Osaka has worn three eye-catching outfits at Wimbledon – each being all-white in colour to adhere to the tournament’s strict clothing policy.
The latest outfit – worn before her victory over Daria Kasatkina – featured embroidered cranes and cherry blossoms and an obi belt [traditionally worn as part of a Japanese kimono].
Osaka appears to have inspired her colleagues on the Tour.
Novak Djokovic has been wearing a smart all-white Lacoste blazer before his matches, while Taylor Fritz has adorned an all-white Hugo Boss suit.
Naomi Osaka thinks Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe’s Wimbledon outfits have been ‘really fun’
“I saw Frances [Tiafoe] had some tear-away pants, too,” Osaka said during her post-match press conference when asked about Djokovic and Fritz’s outfits.
“I think it’s really fun just to keep, to have a little bit of suspense. I don’t know how adventurous guys can be with their clothes.
“I thought it was really fun. I thought it was cool.
“I think on Djokovic’s end, he always has some sort of like cool, unique jacket going on.
“I think in Australia he had different surfaces maybe or something like that? I don’t know. Don’t hold me accountable on that.
“I think Djokovic has always some sort of unique jacket.”
Osaka, like Djokovic and Fritz, has advanced to the Wimbledon fourth round with relative ease.
The Japanese superstar comfortably dispatched Daria Kasatkina in the third round, winning 6-1, 6-2 against the Australian player.
She will face the winner of Aryna Sabalenka and Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round.
Naomi Osaka is playing exemplary grass-court tennis
Historically, grass courts have been the surface on which Naomi Osaka has struggled the most.
Before this year, Osaka had never advanced past the third round at Wimbledon and had struggled to play her best tennis at smaller grass-court events.
However, something seems to have clicked for Osaka in the past month, as she is now playing some of her very best tennis on the surface.
Naomi Osaka’s grass-court results this year
- Bad Homburg R1: defeated Magdalena Frech 6-4, 6-1
- Bad Homburg R2: defeated Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3
- Bad Homburg QF: defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-2
- Bad Homburg SF: defeated Xinyu Wang 6-3, 6-3
- Bad Homburg F: forced to retire while trailing Karolina Muchova 1-6, 0-1
- Wimbledon R1: defeated Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5
- Wimbledon R2: defeated Anastassiya Dmitriyevna Gassanova 6-3, 6-2
- Wimbledon R3: defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3
Earlier this month, the Japanese star defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova and Xinyu Wang on her way to the Bad Homburg Open final.
Her excellent form has continued into Wimbledon, and she is yet to drop a set at the tournament.
If Osaka can continue to perform at this level, she will soon establish herself as a serious contender for the Wimbledon title.
