Osaka Wears Iverson: The Tribute That Opened the US Open

Naomi Osaka walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for her first-round match at the US Open wrapped in a hooded gown of worn gray sweatshirt fabric and white tulle, cornrows, a headband, and two mismatched sleeves, one black and one red. The reference was Allen Iverson. On Instagram, just before walking onto the court, the caption was just one line: "The Answer," the nickname of the former Philadelphia 76ers point guard.

The look was designed by Law Roach, the image architect behind Zendaya's style, and custom-made by Who Decides War, the label run by designers Ev Bravado and Téla D'Amore. Newspaper clippings from moments in Osaka's career were sewn into the sweatshirt.

"The look references Allen Iverson, more specifically, his gray sweats and the nonconformist cadence with which he moved through the world as an athlete,"

the designers explained. The black and red of the sleeves echo the armbands Iverson wore in Philadelphia.

Osaka has said she's long looked up to the guard as a role model, crediting him with changing the way NBA players dress and reshaping the entire conversation around fashion in sport. Iverson replied on Instagram:

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

On court, the win followed against Anastasia Zakharova, 7-6, 7-6, both sets decided in a tie-break, with eleven aces and four break points converted out of seven. Not a stroll, but enough for the second round.

Osaka won in New York in 2018 and 2020, and at Flushing Meadows she's chasing a third title. The entrance built with Roach shows how aware she's become that, at the US Open, the walk to the court is already part of the show.