Naomi Osaka opens US Open with straight-sets win, honors Allen Iverson with retro look

Naomi Osaka, the Haitian-Japanese tennis star opened her U.S. Open campaign in style on Monday night, defeating Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova in straight sets while turning heads on Arthur Ashe Stadium with an outfit paying tribute to NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.

The No. 13 seed came through a pair of tight tiebreaks to win 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3), setting up a second-round meeting with Kateřina Siniaková of the Czech Republic on Wednesday, September 2.

A Tribute to “The Answer”

Beyond the scoreline, it was Osaka’s on-court look that dominated conversation. She stepped onto the court in an all-black, basketball-inspired ensemble complete with a headband and braids styled after Iverson’s signature look, along with arm and headbands in the Philadelphia 76ers’ red and black colors, an unmistakable homage to the 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

Osaka confirmed after the match that the outfit was a deliberate nod to Iverson, whom she credited with reshaping how athletes express themselves through fashion.

“For me, he’s a trailblazer,” Osaka said. “I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot because he’s kind of like done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress”

Videos and photos of the look quickly circulated online, with the U.S. Open’s own social media accounts amplifying the moment as one of the standout style statements of the tournament’s opening days.

A four-time Grand Slam singles champion, Osaka continues to be counted among the most prominent athletes of Haitian descent competing on the world stage, alongside figures such as footballer Wilson Isidor and NBA players Bennedict Mathurin and Luguentz Dort.

Osaka will look to carry both her form and her flair for the dramatic into Wednesday’s second-round clash with Siniaková, with a match time yet to be announced.