Over the years, tennis has become as much about fashion as hitting the perfect serve, and Naomi Osaka leads by example. Her sunflower-inspired outfit at the Australian Open, followed by the all-pink monochromatic dress at the Roland-Garros, brought a dash of color to the court this season. And now, at the ongoing US Open, the Japanese sensation broke the creases to her third installment of the saga, alongside a special memento.

From Venus Williams donning the dreamy Moulin Rouge-inspired dress to Anne White’s catsuit moment at the 1985 Wimbledon, there has certainly been no shortage of iconic tennis outfits that have gone down in history. Now, as Osaka bagged her first match at this year’s US Open at the Billie Jean King Stadium, she couldn’t help but nod her hat at the American legend whom the venue is named after.

After trouncing Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4, the 27-year-old was asked about the creative process behind the flowery dress and its accessories she brought out of her wardrobe for the occasion. As the reporter said that it felt like the New York Fashion Week started early, Naomi Osaka let out a laugh and satisfied the fans’ curiosity. “Honestly, this is my labubu, she’s named Billie Jean Bling. Not Billie Jean King, Billie Jean Bling,” said a smiling Naomi, noting how the doll hanging from her tennis kit was essentially a tribute to the 12-time Grand Slam winner.

She went on to elaborate on how she was given a free hand in coming up with the dress. “The outfit is really cool. Nike let me design it, so I am really glad that I was able to come out,” she said, while mentioning that the headgear that came with the dress was the heaviest thing to carry, and hence she had to take it off before the match. But she barely missed her funky red glittery headgear when Osaka was called into action.

It took Naomi 1 hour and 23 minutes to subdue Minnen and advance to the second round. Osaka comes to the US Open with an agonizing two-set shortfall for the Canadian Open title, but looked comfortable today. In the first, the Japanese national posted 9 unforced errors, compared to Minne’s 14, blasted 3 aces, and won all three breakpoints she earned.

Osaka will now face the USA’s Hailey Baptiste for her second-round match, and the 2x US Open champion should be feeling confident with all the momentum she gathered in the opening bout at Flushing Meadows. After all, she does seem to be drawing inspiration from the best there ever was.

Naomi Osaka has got the looks, but will it be enough?

It’s undeniable: Fashion has taken over the tennis court, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Well, there’s a reason why the athletes adopted the change. It was the legendary Billie Jean King herself who spurred the trend with her iconic “Battle of the Sexes” dress against Bobby Riggs in 1973. With dazzling sapphire details on the collar offsetting the white monotony of the tennis dress, and coordinated blue Adidas sneakers, King’s look from over five decades ago remains an iconic one to this day, and Osaka isn’t shy to take inspiration to her heart’s content.

“The Australian Open’s the Happy Slam, so I thought it was really fitting for it to have a sunny theme,” the four-time Grand Slam winner told the reporters after her sunflower dress at the Australian Open turned heads earlier this year. While her black tank top and the gray, black, and white patterned skirt weren’t anything special, it was the bright yellow hair accessories that elevated her look to the next level. Then, at the French Open, she crossed King’s flowery legacy with a sakura-inspired look to bring out an all-pink Nike kit which floored fans yet again.

But good looks can only get you so far. And truth be told, Naomi Osaka did look a little wobbly en route to her first win at this year’s US Open. “I don’t really know, I think, for me, I felt really nervous. I think that made me a little negative sometimes, so I just tried to, I guess, be as positive as I could when I realised I was getting down on myself,” she said after the match, on how she felt almost nervous at times against Minnen.

But hey, anyone who knows Osaka knows well that once she gets into her stride, it’s almost an impossible task slowing her down. To make sure you don’t miss out on any of her scores from Flushing Meadows, keep an eye out for EssentiallySports‘ US Open live blog!