The US Open is in full swing, and Naomi Osaka shined during opening night. For her match against Greet Minnen, Osaka walked into Louis Armstrong Stadium shimmering from head to toe. Sporting an all-red Nike look, the four-time Grand Slam champion made a statement with embellished red rose hair accessories and sparkling red headphones that complemented the embellishments on her jacket.
“It was really elaborate because the crystals are really hard to do on a performance outfit,” she said, per CNN. “I just thought it would be really fun to do at New York under the lights. I’m glad that my first match was a night match because this outfit was really fun to play in. This is my night outfit, so hopefully, I’ll wear my day outfit next time. But yeah, it definitely was really elaborate.”
Amongst the outfit’s elaborate details was a customized blinged-out Labubu, a trendy bag charm. However, the typically fluffy figurine was covered in red and gold crystals and featured a sparkling blue tennis racket.
“She’s named Billie Jean Bling. Not Billie Jean King. Billie Jean Bling,” Osaka told reporters, which ultimately earned a few chuckles.
After ultimately winning the match against Minnen, Osaka revealed that she had been planning the outfit for years. But her unique hair accessories came together just weeks before the tournament’s kickoff.
“I was like, ‘Do you think this is possible?’ Maybe it was two weeks ago,” Osaka said. “Yeah, we kind of just toss ideas around. Obviously the outcome is way better than I could have imagined.”
This U.S. Open is particularly special for Osaka, as it will be the first time the tennis star’s two-year-old daughter, Shai, attends a tennis match.
“It would be her first time at a tennis match, so I don’t know how loud she’s going to be,” Osaka told the Today show.
In her documentary, “Naomi Osaka: The Second Set,” the tennis star and mom explained that she has played for “other people ” in the past, but now, returning to tennis after a hiatus, she says her daughter is her main source of motivation.
“Now I feel like I’m playing for my daughter—wanting her to see me play and understand how big tennis was in my life is one of my biggest motivations coming back,” she revealed.
