(August 31, 2026) Naomi Osaka channeled former NBA player Allen Iverson as she walked onto the court on Monday night at the US Open. The four-time major champion came out of the tunnel at Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a long, white skirt and a gray, hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her. After taking off the hoodie, a black dress was revealed, and she sported a headband and cornrows, as the former Philadelphia 76ers player used to.
“For me he’s a trailblazer,” she said of the former NBA MVP. “He’s also someone that I look up to a lot because he’s kind of, like, done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not.
“He’s shifted the way NBA players dress, and I also think, like, the whole conversation about clothes in sports, and also just expressing yourself through style,” Osaka said.
“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said following her 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) win over Anastasia Zakharova. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
