Naomi Osaka Pays Tribute To Allen Iverson With Striking US Open Look

Naomi Osaka turned her US Open first-round appearance into another fashion statement on Monday, drawing inspiration from NBA legend Allen Iverson with a dramatic walk-on look and his signature cornrows.

The four-time Grand Slam champion arrived at Arthur Ashe Stadium for her night-session clash against Anastasia Zakharova wearing a long white skirt and a grey hooded robe covered in newspaper-style clippings featuring herself. Beneath the robe was a black playing outfit, while her hair was styled in cornrows, a direct nod to Iverson's iconic look from his NBA career.

For Osaka, however, the tribute was about more than replicating a hairstyle. She has long admired Iverson for challenging conventional ideas around how athletes should dress and express themselves.

Why Naomi Osaka chose Allen Iverson as her inspiration

Osaka had already revealed Iverson as her fashion inspiration for the 2026 US Open before walking onto court.

The Japanese star wore a T-shirt featuring the former Philadelphia 76ers guard during a media appearance ahead of the tournament and spoke about his influence on sports fashion.

"I think he's kind done a lot in fashion, whether it's on purpose or not, but he's shifted the way that NBA players dress," Osaka said.

"I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he's someone that I look up to in that regard."

Iverson's influence extended well beyond his performances on the basketball court. His cornrows, jewellery and oversized clothing became closely associated with his identity and helped challenge the established image of how NBA players were expected to present themselves.

Osaka has similarly used fashion throughout her tennis career as a means of expressing her personality and cultural influences.

Allen Iverson reacts to Osaka's US Open look

There was one detail that made Osaka's tribute particularly interesting: she had never actually spoken to Iverson.

That changed after the US Open appearance, when the NBA legend responded to her look on Instagram.

"Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can't wait to meet you," Iverson wrote.

The message added another layer to what had already been one of Osaka's most distinctive tournament appearances.

Naomi Osaka has made fashion part of her tennis identity

The Iverson-inspired outfit is far from Osaka's first fashion statement at a Grand Slam.

Her walk-on looks have increasingly become part of the spectacle surrounding her appearances at major tournaments, with the former world No. 1 regularly using clothing to draw from different cultural and artistic influences.

She has previously incorporated themes inspired by Japanese culture, films and landmarks into her Grand Slam outfits.

Yet Osaka has insisted that she does not necessarily set out to make a statement every time she dresses differently.

"Honestly, like, nothing I do, I do to make a statement," she said.

"I think it just ends up being that way. But I literally do the things that I love to do."

That approach has become central to Osaka's public identity, allowing her fashion choices to exist alongside her tennis rather than simply serving as promotional spectacle.

Naomi Osaka begins US Open campaign with win

The fashion statement was followed by a demanding victory on court.

Osaka defeated Zakharova in straight sets, 8-6, 7-3 in two tiebreaks, surviving a stern challenge from the world No. 101.

She twice appeared to have control of the match, leading 5-2 in the opening set and 5-3 in the second, only for Zakharova to fight back and force both sets into tiebreaks.

Osaka held her nerve when it mattered, winning the opening tiebreak 8-6 before taking the second 7-3 to advance after just over two hours.

The victory keeps alive her bid for a third US Open title. Osaka previously won the tournament in 2018 and 2020.

For now, though, her latest Arthur Ashe appearance will be remembered as much for what she wore walking onto the court as what she produced once the match began.