Osaka arrived on Louis Armstrong Stadium for her last-16 meeting with Elena Rybakina in another sculpted, oversized jacket, an entrance Sky Sports commentators likened on air to a patchwork quilted jacket. Photos of the walk-on spread across social media minutes before the two players began the biggest women’s match of the day at Flushing Meadows.
It is the latest in a run of designer entrances that has made the four-time Grand Slam champion’s arrivals at the tournament as talked about as the tennis itself. Osaka has walked out in a different bespoke look for every round so far.
From newspaper clippings to Thom Browne
Osaka opened the tournament in a hooded tulle gown by Who Decides War that had newspaper clippings from her own career sewn into the fabric, styled by Law Roach and paired with a Nike basketball kit modeled on Allen Iverson’s Philadelphia 76ers gear. She captioned her Instagram post with a single phrase, “The Answer”, Iverson’s old nickname.
“It’s my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka told reporters after her opening win over Anastasia Zakharova.
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“Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.'”
Iverson replied on Instagram: “Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.”
For round two she switched to a custom Thom Browne all-white silk gazar overcoat with silver detailing and an appliqué of tennis rackets. Round three brought a custom Monse x Nike look, a gray plaid blazer over a zip-up hoodie with wide-leg trousers, a boardroom-meets-locker-room tailoring statement for the three-set survival over Elise Mertens.
A split verdict
Not everyone has been convinced. After the Iverson tribute in round one, several fans called the ensemble “obnoxious” online, with others labelling it “dumb” or “ugly and irrelevant” and accusing Osaka of doing too much for a first-round match.
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The praise has been just as loud. Nike has built its 2026 US Open Slam City collection around basketball-inspired kits worn by Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka as well, and Alcaraz’s purple-and-orange Knicks-inspired reversible tank already sold out in most sizes online.
Osaka faces Rybakina, the Australian Open champion and world No. 2, in the last 16 at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Monday. A run to the semi-finals would guarantee Rybakina the top of the WTA rankings at the end of the tournament.
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