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If the French Open handed out trophies on fashion merits, Naomi Osaka would have already won the tournament.
The tennis star has taken to the historic clay of Roland-Garros in Paris in looks that channel the city’s storied couture savoir-faire for the court—or, as she aptly called it, “court-ure.” For her first-round match against Germany’s Laura Siegemund, Osaka arrived in a dramatic ensemble by Swiss designer Germanier: a semi-sheer pleated maxi skirt paired with a sleeveless zip-up corset embellished with beading and upcycled from past competition kits. Beneath it, Osaka revealed something just as trophy-worthy: a Nike tennis dress shimmering with sequins in a clay-toned hue that mirrored the court. (After the match, she joked she had two backup dresses ready in case the umpire “kicked her off” the court for the look’s reflective shine.)
“We wanted to design a world in and around the [Nike kit] to build more of a narrative,” Osaka’s creative director Marty Harper tells ELLE. “We didn’t want the story to be told as soon as she walked out. Naomi always says fashion is an opportunity to let people see more of her.”
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Naomi Osaka arriving for her first round match on May 26.
Osaka and Harper, who started their creative collaboration in 2020, enlisted Germanier, a favorite of Cardi B, Zara Larsson, and Teyana Taylor, following the 2026 Met Gala earlier this month, when Osaka wore a dramatic plume dress and face covering by the designer to an after-party. “We believed that Kevin [Germanier] would be the person to speak the most to couture and to something that is special for Roland-Garros,” Harper adds.
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Naomi Osaka at the 2026 Australian Open.
While many tennis stars walk into a match in a mere zip-up jacket or just their ready-to-go kit, the duo wanted to build a world around the Nike kits, a process that often starts during Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks.
They did just that at the Australian Open in January. Osaka captivated the tennis world when she wore what’s become known as the “jellyfish” look: a pleated, movement-driven skirt by Robert Wun underneath a seafoam blue Nike dress. “We were enamored by how much movement was taking place within the collection,” Harper recalls of the getup, which also featured a butterfly-adorned hat—a reference to when the creature landed on Osaka during a 2021 match at the tournament—per Wun’s suggestion.
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Naomi Osaka during her second round match against Donna Vekic on May 28.
While Harper admits these court looks take preparation, much of the magic happens up until the last minute. As I chatted with Harper via Zoom on the eve of Osaka’s second-round match (which she eventually won over Croatia’s Donna Vekić), the creative director was reviewing final design tweaks. “There’s a lot of emotion and feeling that’s driven into an athlete before they’re to compete,” Harper notes. “There are some moments where I’ve seen something not come to the court because of the need to focus.”
The Grand Slam champion ultimately settled on another fashion ace: an ivory bustle skirt by Germanier attached to a pouf-sleeve Nike track jacket. The other new addition? A Nike visor to ward off the sweltering Parisian sun.
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Naomi Osaka ahead of her second round match against Donna Vekic on May 28.
Harper and Osaka—who have also collaborated with designers like Chris Habana and Yoon Ahn of Ambush—have more stories to be told at the year’s upcoming Grand Slams. “The Wimbledon and US Open kits are in their own worlds. It’s really about creating something that’s three-dimensional—you’re getting the walk-on, the court moment, and then the press that comes around it,” Harper says.
Until then, all eyes are on Osaka as she takes to the courts of Roland-Garros for her next match against rising American star Iva Jovic on Saturday. The scoreboard will do its thing—but style-wise, Osaka’s already a winner.