Naomi Osaka honors fashion ‘trailblazer’ Allen Iverson with U.S. Open outfit
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and current world No. 14, praised the Sixers legend for doing "a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not."
All of Nike’s tennis kits for the U.S. Open are basketball-inspired, after the New York Knicks’ NBA championship earlier this year. Carlos Alcaraz is wearing a jersey-style top, and the women’s kits prominently feature mesh similar to netting.
Naomi Osaka paid homage to Sixers icon Allen Iverson with her walk-on outfit for her first-round match at the U.S. Open.
Osaka, known for taking big swings with her on-court fashion, walked out in a gray dress, covered in news headlines written about her, before taking the hood off to reveal a headband over her braids, her tribute to Iverson’s iconic look.
“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said following her first-round victory over Anastasia Zakharova. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
In her post-match news conference, Osaka wore an Iverson T-shirt, and also posted the look on social media with the caption “The Answer.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion and current world No. 14 praised Iverson for being a “trailblazer” in NBA fashion. Iverson’s street style famously was a driving reason then-NBA commissioner David Stern instituted a dress code, mandating players to wear business casual to the arena.
“I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s … done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” Osaka said. “I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”
Osaka said she and Iverson had “zero” communication before she put the look together, but she hoped he would see it. Iverson reposted her tribute on his Instagram with the caption: “Wow what an honor! Big fan, can’t wait to meet you!”
Osaka’s next match is Wednesday against Kateřina Siniaková.
