Naomi Osaka caught a lot of attention when she first stepped on court at the Australian Open in an eye-catching outfit.
Osaka survived a scare against Antonio Ruzic in her first round match at the 2026 Australian Open, a tournament where she is a two-time former champion.
However, perhaps the biggest talking point of her match came before it even started, with Osaka sporting a jellyfish inspired outfit in her entrance to the court.
This unique tennis attire has unsurprisingly caught a lot of attention, and Osaka has now revealed how long she had been planning her outfit.
Naomi Osaka details the planning that went into her Australian Open outfit
Osaka beat Ruzic, 6-3 3-6 6-4, in a highly competitive match, but many of the questions in her post-match press conference concerned the outfit she had worn on to Rod Laver Arena.
One of the questions addressed to Osaka asked her how long she had been planning this outfit and whether she had spoken to Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley about it.
Osaka revealed that the design had been planned months in advance, before admitting her fear about the umbrella she was carrying.
“So, no, this is definitely months in planning,” revealed Osaka. “Obviously you kind of have to I guess prep for this. You also have to, like, see the design, see if it works, see if you can walk.
“The scariest thing for me was I didn’t know if the umbrella could fit in the tunnel. I did low-key like hit a couple of the little boards. I think it worked.
“But no, honestly Craig has been super, super kind to me. I don’t know. It just worked out really well. But he’s an awesome guy.”
Naomi Osaka says if she wishes other players would do more with their on-court outfits
One of the reasons that Osaka caught so much attention is because it is unusual to see tennis players wearing anything other than their usual attire.
As a result, Osaka was also asked if she wishes some tennis players would do more, before speaking about some of her tennis fashion inspirations growing up.
“Being extra? Yeah, of course,” said Osaka when asked if she wishes other players would be more daring with their fashion choices.
The former world number one continued, “Sure. Like, for me, I will say this, but I grew up with the G.O.A.T.s of style, Serena [Williams], Venus [Williams], [Maria] Sharapova. People don’t talk about her enough, but Bethanie Mattek-Sands, too. She made it work with what she had.
“I think it all comes down to personality, too. I don’t expect someone that’s really reserved to freaking put a veil on their head and go out and play their match.
“But I think people, I don’t know, you see bits of personality. I’ve seen people with bows in their hair. I think like that’s always going to be the first step into something. I’m always curious to see what is the next thing.”
Tennis fans will get another opportunity to see Osaka’s outfit for her second round match against Sorana Cirstea.
Cirstea won their only previous meeting 11 years ago, and Osaka will be hoping to get revenge when they take to Margaret Court Arena on Thursday, January 22.
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