Osaka

Anyone wondering what look fashion-forward tennis star Naomi Osaka would sport at the U.S. Open this year received “The Answer” on Monday night at Flushing Meadows in New York.

That is, her look was very much inspired by basketball icon Allen Iverson, complete with cornrows, a headband and arm sleeves.

After her 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) first-round victory over Anastasia Zakharova, Osaka said she decided to pay homage to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and his signature style after her apparel sponsor chose basketball as its U.S. Open theme.

“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said during an on-court interview. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”

Osaka took the court wearing a long, hooded gown — possibly inspired by Iverson’s hoodies and baggy clothes from back in the day — with newspaper clippings about her attached to it. She first took off the hood to reveal her hair and headband, then removed the gown to play in a black tank top and metallic tennis skirt.

Naomi Osaka arrives to compete against Anastasia Zakharova during the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday in New York.

(Adam Hunger / Ap Photo/adam Hunger)

Naomi Osaka reacts to winning the first set against Anastasia Zakharova on Monday at the U.S. Open.

(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)

The two-time U.S. Open champion also gave a nod to the 11-time NBA All-Star during her media day news conference Saturday by wearing a T-shirt that featured the longtime Philadelphia 76ers star’s 1999 Slam magazine cover.

“For me, he’s a trailblazer,” Osaka said when asked about the shirt. “He’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress. And I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports, and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”

Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson plays against the Boston Celtics pn March 8, 2006.

(Winslow Townson / Associated Press)

With his hair, tattoos, jewelry and clothes, Iverson gained his reputation as an NBA fashion trailblazer during his playing career from 1996-2010 — so much so that in 2005, when then-commissioner David Stern instituted a stricter dress code for players arriving to games, many felt it was in response to Iverson’s look.

“I took the ass whooping for it, but the dress code thing I actually was just — I was 21,” Iverson said on “The Breakfast Club” last year. “Where am I going after the game? I’m going to the club. Before that, they were used to dudes wearing suits, and I was like, damn. I’ve never worn a suit growing up — going to church or to a funeral was the only time I put on a suit … and the courtroom. I never wore a suit to the gym to play, to the park.”

On Saturday, Osaka said she had never communicated with Iverson — “but hopefully he’ll see this,” she added.

Turns out, he did. Iverson posted a photo of Osaka in the shirt featuring his image and a clip of her comments about him Monday on Instagram.

“Wow, what a honor!!” Iverson wrote. “BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you. @naomiosaka”

Elena Rybakina stages a huge comeback to beat Naomi Osaka and will now play Coco Gauff for a place in the final.

Second-seeded Elena Rybakina fought back from a set and a break down to prevail 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in her Canadian Open quarterfinal against Naomi Osaka in Toronto on Tuesday.

Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon and 2026 ⁠Australian Open champion, will meet fourth-seeded Coco Gauff for a place in the final after the American’s opponent, Belinda Bencic, withdrew due to a hip injury.

In ⁠the first tour-level meeting between Osaka and Rybakina, the Japanese player looked to be cruising to victory after breaking in the opening game and holding that advantage to pocket the first set.

The four-time Grand Slam champion then surged to a 4-2 lead in ‌the second set, but Rybakina rallied and came out on top in a tiebreaker to force the decider.

In the third set, the Kazakh successfully defended four break points before breaking Osaka’s serve in back-to-back games to seize control and seal victory in two hours and 33 minutes.

“This first game of the match was really tough because it cost me the set,” Rybakina said. “In the second ⁠I was just trying to stay closer to the score, ⁠even if I’m losing.

“It’s rare when you don’t play some players for so many years you’re on tour. She’s a great champion. She’s a fighter. I knew it would be a tough match.”

Earlier ⁠on Tuesday, Gauff advanced without striking a ball after Bencic withdrew from their quarterfinal, giving the American more time to ⁠fine-tune her game before the US Open.

The 2023 ⁠US Open champion is into the 16th WTA 1000 semifinal of her career as the 22-year-old chases her first title of the year.

Gauff finished runner-up in Miami and Rome before her Wimbledon campaign ended ‌in a tight semifinal defeat. She has introduced new tactical elements to her game and has looked strong in Toronto, where she has not dropped a set.

The only ‌previous ‌meeting between Gauff and Rybakina was also in Toronto, where the American won in three sets in 2022.

A resurgent Naomi Osaka stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a brilliant performance to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time.

Japan’s Osaka out-served, out-hit and out-thought her fellow four-time Grand Slam champion to win 6-2 7-6 (7-2) on Centre Court.

This is Sabalenka’s earliest exit at a Grand Slam since the 2022 French Open, and the first time she has exited one in straight sets for 122 matches.

But she fell to an inspired performance by Osaka, who held her racquet to her head in disbelief after clinching victory on her second match point.

It is a first Wimbledon last-eight appearance for Osaka, who also reached the second week of the French Open for the first time last month.

“It’s been a long time since I had so much fun on the court,” said Osaka.

“To do it here means a lot.”

This was the fourth time in three months that the two big-hitters had met, with Sabalenka winning the previous three encounters.

This time Osaka was dominant throughout, matching Sabalenka pace-for-pace and moving well around the court.

Sabalenka made a hasty exit afterwards as her search for a first Grand Slam of the year continues.

Osaka will go on to face Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova for a place in the semi-finals.

Muchova’s victory over 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova means there will be a different women’s singles champion for the 10th tournament in a row.

Another day, another stunning Wimbledon outfit for Naomi Osaka.

After the four-time Grand Slam champion arrived for her opening match at the All England Club in an elegant, full-length kimono – entirely white to adhere to the tournament’s strict dress code – Osaka chose to “mix it up a little bit”.

Returning to action on Wednesday, the 28-year-old combined a white jacket with floral pattern with a long train that trailed behind her, attached to her waist by an obi – a large, decorative belt traditionally worn with a kimono.

Osaka stopped spectators and photographers in their tracks on her walk from the locker room to number two court.

Little over an hour later, she equalled her best Wimbledon run by beating Russian Anastasia Gasanova 6-3 6-2 to reach the third round.

“I feel like my inspiration can be anything,” said former world number one Osaka, who was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother and mostly grew up in Florida.

“I took a trip to Japan one day. Obviously, you go to Harajuku [a district of Tokyo famous for its fashion culture], and see everyone expressing themselves through clothes.

“It was just so cool and colourful. That stuck out to me a lot. I kind of used that in my fashion experimentation.

“I don’t really ever have a plan when it comes to clothes. I think it’s OK to try something and fail, but I’d rather just try it and see how it goes.”