Naomi Osaka has spectacularly delivered one of the most iconic outfits at the Australian Open, successfully continuing her legacy of showcasing stunning on-court looks. The Japanese star who bewitched the Rod Laver Arena with her entrance has drawn a response from the ATP legend Boris Becker, who has highlighted his contrasting views on the athlete’s combination of sports and fashion.
Boris Becker Shares His Take on Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open Exoskeletal-Inspired Outfit
The WTA world No. 17 has returned to the first Grand Slam of the season after her debut with Team Japan at the fourth edition of the United Cup tournament. For the four-time Major champion, Melbourne Park holds incredible memories, as she won the singles titles in 2019 and 2021.
After wrapping up her 2025 season with the Japan Women’s Open, where she reached the quarterfinal round and withdrew due to her left thigh injury, Osaka has begun her singles journey with a win in the first round against former World No. 65, Croatian player Antonia Ružić.
She secured her win in 2 hours and 22 minutes, with a concluding score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Apart from clinching the match with tenacity and determination, Osaka also unveiled her new spellbinding outfit designed by herself, her sponsor Nike, and London-based fashion designer Robert Wun.
Her entrance outfit featured the athlete in an aquamarine top, white wide-leg bottoms with frill designs, completing her historic look with a veiled white hat and white umbrella, both containing butterflies, a remembrance of her 2021 Australian Open moment.
Considering the look, the Hall of Famer, who has won 49 singles titles, including six majors, and 15 doubles titles, shared his views in an interview with TNT Sports via Tennis365, expressing, “These are, of course, images for the media.
The way she entered the court is already iconic. No other player has dared to wear such an outfit, but she did. But there is also a contradiction: on the one hand, she doesn’t want to be under so much pressure, she doesn’t want to be in the public eye and in the media so much, and then she comes onto centre court in an outfit like that.”
Through his statement, Becker shed light on Osaka’s relationship with the media in the past, as she had struggled to maintain her presence on the global stage and to fulfil her media obligations during her 2021 season.
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Furthermore, Becker continued highlighting that sports should also take the focus, “Of course, that puts her back in the public spotlight. I would point out that she also needed a mental break a few years ago. For me, it’s generally important that the focus here is on the sport.”
In 2021, citing mental health reasons, Osaka revealed that she had been suffering from depression, and she did not play at the French Open after her first-round win and also skipped the Wimbledon Championships.
