{"id":31243,"date":"2026-05-29T12:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/31243\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T12:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:22:08","slug":"naomi-osakas-french-open-style-game-is-already-a-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/31243\/","title":{"rendered":"Naomi Osaka\u2019s French Open Style Game Is Already a Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated3 min read<\/p>\n

If the French Open handed out trophies on fashion merits, Naomi Osaka<\/a> would have already won the tournament.<\/p>\n

The tennis star has taken to the historic clay of Roland-Garros in Paris in looks that channel the city\u2019s storied couture savoir-faire for the court\u2014or, as she aptly called it, \u201ccourt-ure.\u201d For her first-round match against Germany\u2019s 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 \u201ckicked her off\u201d the court for the look\u2019s reflective shine.)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to design a world in and around the [Nike kit] to build more of a narrative,\u201d Osaka\u2019s creative director Marty Harper tells ELLE. \u201cWe didn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"2026Jean Catuffe\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Naomi Osaka arriving for her first round match on May 26.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> by the designer to an after-party. \u201cWe believed that Kevin [Germanier] would be the person to speak the most to couture and to something that is special for Roland-Garros,\u201d Harper adds.<\/p>\n

\"2026Quinn Rooney\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Naomi Osaka at the 2026 Australian Open.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

They did just that at the Australian Open in January. Osaka captivated the tennis world when she wore what\u2019s become known as the \u201cjellyfish\u201d look: a pleated, movement-driven skirt by Robert Wun underneath a seafoam blue Nike dress. \u201cWe were enamored by how much movement was taking place within the collection,\u201d Harper recalls of the getup, which also featured a butterfly-adorned hat\u2014a reference to when the creature landed<\/a> on Osaka during a 2021 match at the tournament\u2014per Wun\u2019s suggestion.<\/p>\n

\"2026Jean Catuffe\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Naomi Osaka during her second round match against Donna Vekic on May 28.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s second-round match (which she eventually won over Croatia\u2019s Donna Veki\u0107), the creative director was reviewing final design tweaks. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of emotion and feeling that\u2019s driven into an athlete before they\u2019re to compete,\u201d Harper notes. \u201cThere are some moments where I\u2019ve seen something not come to the court because of the need to focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"2026Daniel Kopatsch\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Naomi Osaka ahead of her second round match against Donna Vekic on May 28.<\/p>\n

Harper and Osaka\u2014who have also collaborated with designers like Chris Habana and Yoon Ahn of Ambush\u2014have more stories to be told at the year\u2019s upcoming Grand Slams. \u201cThe Wimbledon and US Open kits are in their own worlds. It\u2019s really about creating something that\u2019s three-dimensional\u2014you\u2019re getting the walk-on, the court moment, and then the press that comes around it,\u201d Harper says.<\/p>\n

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\u2014but style-wise, Osaka\u2019s already a winner.<\/p>\n