Fashion and Naomi Osaka have always moved together on the tennis court. In Nike’s 2024 release, Osaka called the motivation “emotional and expressive.” She likes feeling like a “magical girl” on court and wants viewers to connect with that feeling. From a turquoise jellyfish dress at the 2026 Australian Open to a pink Sakura kit at Roland Garros last year and bold day/night looks at the 2025 US Open, her outfits turn entrances into couture. Now, for the second Grand Slam of the year, she arrives with another iconic look.

Osaka stepped onto Court Suzanne-Lenglen in a striking custom Nike outfit designed by Kevin Germanier for her opening-round clash against Laura Siegemund at the French Open.

Turning heads immediately, the Japanese star first appeared in an all-black look featuring a full-length pleated skirt and an embroidered jacket. But the real moment came when she revealed a shimmering gold outfit underneath, drawing loud reactions from the crowd and instantly becoming one of the biggest fashion moments of the tournament so far.

Interestingly, Osaka had already teased fans during her pre-tournament press conference, asking them to stay tuned for the reveal of her outfit, and she certainly delivered. Speaking about her latest look, the Japanese star explained that fashion is her way of communicating with fans, while also crediting Serena Williams and Venus Williams as major inspirations behind her style choices.

“I feel like fashion, for me, I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes. That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or fabric as I want. I definitely would say I’m doing something here too,” she said in the press conference. “But I think that’s the fun part. I feel like we lost that a little in tennis. I always tell people I grew up with [about] Serena’s and Venus’ grand reveals. I literally can look at a picture and probably tell you what year that outfit came from.”

Describing her fashion sense as “dramatic”, the 28-year-old feels that there are people who can relate to her flashy outfits.

“I know there are some kids or some people that are similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits. I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense,” she added.

This isn’t the first time that Osaka’s outfit has created a buzz. She had stunned the crowd at the Australian Open earlier this year by wearing an ocean-toned tie-dye warm-up jacket with soft frills and pairing it with flowing white wide-leg trousers. Over that came a pleated mini-skirt, creating a layered look that felt totally unexpected. Her look was completed with a wide-brimmed hat and a matching parasol.

Osaka’s custom Nike outfit at the Indian Wells Open had also become a major talking point. The attire included an animal-printed top and shorts, which she paired with custom jewelry pieces like ear cuffs, grills, mesh gloves, and a chainmail skirt designed by Filipino-American designer Chris Habana.

It’s not always that the brand creates a special look for the player, but the four-time Grand Slam champion steps into the spotlight and stuns on occasion. When she arrived at the 2025 French Open in a custom Nike outfit, she was genuinely surprised by the look Nike prepared for her.

“I’m really excited about the kit because I designed it. I don’t know why Nike is letting me do this stuff. I say this every Slam. But I think it’s really adorable,” she told Sports Illustrated on Serve last year.

“I’m just excited. I don’t know if you can see from all the way over here, but I did my nails. They’re Sakura-themed too. I’m really sticking to the flower story that we have.”

This year, while many people have showered praise on Osaka’s outfits, others have been critical of her for focusing too much on her fashion sense and ignoring the dismal results. The fans expressed a similar sentiment towards Osaka’s outfit for the French Open.

Fans criticize Naomi Osaka on social media over Roland Garros outfit

While Osaka’s outfits did get massive attention, the opinions from tennis fans have always been mixed. A big reason behind this is the decline in her form. For context, she has an average win-loss record of 9-4 this season and hasn’t been able to reach the later stages in any tournament.

One fan remarked that while Osaka’s fashion sense may be great, her French Open outfit seems better suited for the Met Gala. “I love fashion but girl plz it’s not the Met gala and it’s too hot.”

Another fan labelled the outfit as “ridiculous” and asked Osaka to focus more on her game. “This is ridiculous. Just play tennis.”

Nike has long been celebrated for its iconic tennis kits, especially through legendary players like Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, and Andre Agassi. All three brought timeless looks to the court and left a lasting impression beyond their powerful tennis skills.

Sharapova won her 2004 Wimbledon title in a custom all-white Nike tank and skirt, then stunned at the 2006 US Open with a black bedazzled Audrey Hepburn-inspired Nike dress. Agassi rocked bold neon chartreuse and hot-lava outfits with denim accents from 1988 to 1990, challenging tennis’s conservative dress norms. Federer wore iconic Nike kits earlier in his career, including the sleek all-black 2012 US Open look, before switching to Uniqlo for apparel in 2018 while keeping Nike for footwear.

A fan also felt that the Japanese shouldn’t be allowed to wear such attire as it reflects sunlight and can distract her opponent. “I think her outfit should not be allowed given how it is reflecting sunlight.”

Additionally, one fan compared Osaka’s outfit to an evening gown and felt that it didn’t suit her at all. “She looks ridiculous. Who wears an evening gown on a tennis court?”

Another fan simply asked Osaka to put more effort on tennis rather than trying to dress the best. “Maybe if she put the effort into her tennis?”

At the 2026 French Open, Naomi Osaka is working under coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, the former coach of Iga Swiatek, who joined her team in 2025 after she split with Patrick Mouratoglou. Osaka says Wiktorowski has helped her decision-making and boosted her confidence by focusing on what she does well:

“He has helped me a lot in the decision-making department and always makes sure to pinpoint the good thing I do.”

She entered Roland-Garros as the 16th seed and delivered a strong first-round performance, defeating unseeded Laura Siegemund 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). She saved a set point when down 5-3 and forced a tiebreaker before prevailing. Before the tournament, she practiced on Court Philippe-Chatrier with Wiktorowski and said she and her coach are targeting her first-ever second week in Paris, something he called “crazy,” that she had only reached the third round there before.

However, Osaka shut all her critics by putting up a solid performance in the first round of the French Open. She triumphed 6-3, 7-6 over Siegemund in two hours and three minutes. This was a much-needed boost for the 28-year-old, who had come into the tournament after suffering R16 exits in both Madrid and Rome.

Having never made it past the third round in her previous eight appearances at the Roland Garros, Osaka will be aiming to finally make it to the later stages this time around on the clay-courts of Paris.