Naomi Osaka certainly knows how to make an entrance. In June, she stole the sartorial show at Wimbledon in Hana Yagi, and accomplished the same in a jellyfish-inspired look co-designed by Robert Wun and Nike at the Australian Open earlier this year. On Monday night, the four-time Grand Slam champion did it again, this time at the U.S. Open, walking into Arthur Ashe Stadium in a custom Who Decides War all-white gown, styled and commissioned by Law Roach. The tulle dress featured sewn-in news clippings of her career highlights, which she paired with a headband over cornrows, a red sweatband on one arm, and a black sleeve on the other, paying homage to basketball legend Allen Iverson.
Ahead of her first-round win against Anastasia Zakharova, Osaka told Vogue the look was partially inspired by the Open’s Nike athlete kits, which showcase basketball streetwear style. Iverson, who spent 12 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers in the early aughts, quickly came to mind. “He was an elite player on the court but also found a way to authentically merge culture, sports, and fashion,” Osaka told the outlet. “The U.S. Open has always felt like a homecoming of sorts, so I wanted to harness the energy and vibe of the city into my look.”
Upon tasking her longtime stylist with the project, Roach then reached out to designers Téla D’Amore and Ev Bravado, who harnessed Iverson’s “gray sweats and the nonconformist cadence with which he moved through the world as an athlete.” They told Vogue: “Naomi and Law sent two images our way of Iverson wearing a headband — head only — and from there we had roughly 30 hours to figure out the rest.”
Osaka has been channeling Iverson throughout her Open run — on Sunday, she wore a T-shirt featuring the 2000 NBA MVP on the cover of Slam magazine to a press conference. When asked by a reporter why she wanted to pay tribute to Iverson, she called him a trailblazer. “I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot because he’s kind of done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” she said. “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.”
When a second reporter followed up to ask if Osaka had contacted Iverson, she admitted she hadn’t but hoped he’d see the interview. Sure enough, Iverson shared a quote from the press conference on his Instagram feed on Monday, writing, “Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.”
All of this sounds like a great start to what could be a fruitful U.S. Open for the 28-year-old. Next up, she’ll take on Kateřina Siniaková in Wednesday’s second round. One can only hope Osaka will hang on to Iverson’s Basketball Hall of Fame–honored winning mentality. After all, he’s got “the answer.”
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