Naomi Osaka Wears Robert Wun-Designed Look with Nike at Australian Open

Naomi Osaka arrived for her first-round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne wearing a couture-inflected outfit developed by Nike and designer Robert Wun for her match against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia.

The ensemble paired a frilly greenish-blue athletic dress with swishy white pleated pants, a wide-brim white hat with a gauzy veil and a white parasol; Osaka said a jellyfish and butterflies inspired the look in an interview with Vogue. She shed the pants, hat and parasol before the start of the match, which she won. The outfit made headlines and drew discussion from a New York Times fashion critic and Styles reporters.

Reactions were split: Alex Vadukul called it dramatic and 'operatic,' invoking Gatsby and bridal imagery; Yola Mzizi said it brought a solemn, 'Sunday best' feeling; Vanessa Friedman described it as closer to costume and a runway adaptation around a Nike dress. Vadukul noted Wun has dressed Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, and Osaka said she 'grew up with the GOATs of style, Serena, Venus, Sharapova.'

Reporters raised larger questions about whether the moment signals a new phase in sports fashion or a one-off. Friedman asked whether such entrances will become custom fashion moments or if Osaka is an outlier, while Mzizi warned that future looks could veer toward costume.

Key Topics

Sports, Naomi Osaka, Australian Open, Melbourne, Robert Wun, Nike