Naomi Osaka knows how to make an entrance. At the 2026 US Open, the four-time Grand Slam champion arrived at Arthur Ashe Stadium in a look that brought together two of her worlds: fashion and sport. Draped in white tulle and a distressed hoodie covered with fragments of her own history, Osaka then revealed an on-court look inspired by one of basketball’s most recognisable figures, Allen Iverson.
Naomi Osaka’s US Open Fashion Takes Cues From Allen Iverson
The first look was deliberately theatrical. A distressed hooded layer, lined with newspaper headlines and photographs from Osaka’s career, fell over a cascading white tulle skirt. Beneath it was the real tribute: a black Nike ensemble styled with a headband, cornrows and sleeves that echoed Iverson’s unmistakable basketball aesthetic.
The outfit was created by New York label Who Decides War and styled by Law Roach, in collaboration with designers Téla D’Amore and Ev Bravado. According to Vogue, the team had just 30 hours to develop the look from references supplied by Osaka and Roach. One of those references was an Off-White design from Virgil Abloh’s Fall 2020 collection, adding another layer to an outfit already rooted in sporting and street culture.
For Osaka, Iverson was more than a visual reference. She has described the former NBA MVP as a trailblazer whose influence changed the way basketball players dressed and broadened the conversation around clothing and self-expression in sport. The connection feels particularly fitting at this year’s US Open, where Nike has brought basketball into the visual language of the tournament.
There was also something distinctly personal about the styling. The newspaper clippings transformed the outer layer into a record of Osaka’s public life, while the Iverson references connected her to an athlete who helped make individuality part of sporting culture.
The fashion moment arrived before a closely fought first round against Anastasia Zakharova. Osaka eventually prevailed 7-6(6), 7-6(3), moving into the second round.
For Osaka, the clothes are clearly part of the experience of competing in New York. But this look went beyond spectacle. It placed her own story alongside Iverson’s legacy, making the walk to the court feel less like a pre-match ritual and more like a conversation between two sporting generations.
