Off-season is traditionally the time when I do my Fashion Retrospections. Obviously, these outfit overviews will be significantly shorter this year, because the coronavirus pandemic greatly reduced the number of tournaments played in 2020 and as a consequence far less new tennis collections were launched.
The first yearly fashion recap I’ll do in 2020 is that of Naomi Osaka‘s on-court style. This was the first full season that Naomi wore the Swoosh (last year she wore Adidas until April) and she’s also recently launched her own Nike line.
Naomi kicked off the 2020 WTA season at the Brisbane International in a simple Nike ensemble — a white tank, blue skirt and orange shoes.
At the Australian Open, Naomi presented her custom-made dress featuring a large back cutout and a lightweight white skirt layer with a dominant side slit at left hip. Just like the rest of the NikeCourt Melbourne collection, the dress is dominated by hand-painted watercolor print created in collaboration with Melbourne-based artist Cassie Byrnes.
Naomi also had her Nike Air Zoom Zero shoes color-coordinated.
Notice that at the Australian Open Naomi wore a fanny pack featuring her own minimalistic “NO” logo which has recently officially been launched as part of her own Nike line.
Naomi’s first tournament after the coronavirus hiatus was the Western & Southern Open in New York where she wore another customized dress, this time in solid grey. There the Japanese also introduced her limited-edition Yonex EZONE racquet.
The former world No.1 clinched her third Grand Slam title at the US Open, where she once again stood out with a unique outfit — two versions of a colorblock bodysuit featuring a large circular cutout on the back.
The 23-year-old was warming up in the Nike Fall NY Jacket, that the rest of the Nike camp also wore, including her final opponent Victoria Azarenka.
Naomi’s hot pink Nike Air Zoom GP Turbo shoes featured the tennis star’s logo.
Naomi Osaka’s outstanding tennis achievements, multi-cultural origin and appealing personality are making her an excellent promoter of Nike. Nobody can really be considered a replacement for Maria Sharapova, but Naomi has successfully built a name for herself on the tennis apparel scene and she’s also spread her reach outside of sports fashion by designing for Hanako Maeda‘s ADEAM fashion house.
NAOMI OSAKA’S ON-COURT STYLE THROUGH THE YEARS:
- 2019: Transition from Adidas to Nike and Sacai looks
- 2018: Osaka’s Adidas fashion in her breakthrough season
