Naomi Osaka had The Answer for Anastasia Zakharova.
Osaka made her opening fashion statement at the US Open tennis on Monday (31 August), fittingly inciting a bit of basketball flavour in the mecca of hoops as an ode to former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson.
Wearing cornrows and decked in a sleeveless, frayed hoodie with elbow sleeves – all trademarks of Iverson – Osaka turned Arthur Ashe Stadium into her private runway once again before being made to work by Zakharova in a straight-sets victory capped off by an ace.
The 13th seed from Japan needed more than two hours to progress to the second round 7-6(6), 7-6(3), having to force the tiebreak from being down 6-5 in both sets with the fight Iverson – a fashion icon himself off the court – used to show during his plays.
“I would say that took everything,” said the two-time US Open champion, who hit 11 aces during the match. “I’m just really grateful to be able to play on this court again. I just told myself to not have any regrets. I just really wanted to come out here and compete.
“I haven’t played since Toronto so I was a little rusty, and also I just get really nervous during the first round of this tournament, because I want to do well and I want to show you guys some more outfits.”
It was Osaka’s first match in a month since reaching the quarter-finals at the Canadian Open. She faces 42nd-ranked Katerina Siniakova of Czechia in the second round.
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read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/tennis-us-open-2026-naomi-osaka-allen-iverson
