But opponent Laura Siegemund was not impressed. “I couldn’t care less,” she told TNT Sports after Osaka won 6-3, 7-6.
“I come here to play tennis, not to put on a fashion show. And if others want to put on a fashion show, then they should go ahead and do it. That’s totally fine with me.
“I find something else problematic. In our sport, at every tournament they count every second, right up until you’ve unpacked your water bottle. But she can have a minute-and-a-half to change. I have a problem with that, because these rules simply exist and they are what they are – every second is now being watched so closely for us.
“And I also think that with performances like these, every second should be accounted for. That’s the only thing regarding the rules that I don’t think is OK and where, once again, bigger names are treated differently.”
Osaka is the only player to receive custom outfits from Nike, and even had a backup in case her “Eiffel Tower at night”-inspired sequinned gold number proved too difficult for Siegemund to see in the blazing sunshine in Paris.