Tennis phenom Naomi Osaka is known not just as one of the sport’s most skilled players, but as one of its most boundary-pushing style stars. And tonight, as she made her entrance at the 2026 US Open, it was no different. Always one for avant-garde, theatrical flair—as shown by past looks from designers including Hana Yagi and Robert Wun—Osaka stepped onto the court in a custom Who Decides War tulle and French terry gown, complete with sewn-in newspaper clippings of her career highlights and styled by Law Roach.
Nike’s athletes’ kits this season were inspired by basketball, presenting a unique sartorial challenge blending the two distinct on-court sports. Immediately, Osaka was drawn to the style legacy of basketball player Allen Iverson. “He was an elite player on the court but also found a way to authentically merge culture, sports, and fashion,” Osaka tells Vogue. Plus, the contrasting sweatsuit-meets-princess-tulle energy of the dress and headband felt representative of the city’s eclectic style that Osaka loves. “The US Open has always felt like a homecoming of sorts, so I wanted to harness the energy and vibe of the city into my look,” she says. “I also try to consider my kit as well, so something in the streetwear world made the most sense to me.”
For Osaka, partnering with both Roach and Who Decides War for the look felt like a seamless collaboration. The tennis player first discovered the brand through her own deep-dive research into emerging designers a few years back—she began noticing cool pieces of theirs out and about and has since bought a few of her own. Roach, she explains, was the “creative force” who helped make it all happen: “I shared my ideas and concepts and countless photos with him, and then we decided on which brand we felt could deliver on what my wishes were, but with their interpretation.”
Designers Téla D’Amore and Ev Bravado were more than game, no pun intended. “The look references Allen Iverson, more specifically, his gray sweats and the nonconformist cadence with which he moved through the world as an athlete,” they say. “Naomi and Law sent two images our way of Iverson wearing a headband—head only—and from there, we had roughly 30 hours to figure out the rest.” The burnout newspaper clippings were a welcome personal touch which Osaka enthusiastically embraced: “The original design didn’t have the press clippings in the fabric, and a few days before our fitting Law sent it to me and I immediately said ‘YES.’”
Likewise, the silhouette, which directly references a fall 2020 Off-White dress designed by D’Amore and Bravado’s late mentor Virgil Abloh, paid homage to their own design legacy. “This was a piece that was controversial when it debuted, but remains one of our favorites he ever created,” the design duo says. “It felt important to nod to a hero of ours whose own path to success was similarly defined by a refusal to move within the expected current.” A fitting sentiment for a sports star whose own standout style bucks against expectations, too.
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