Who was in the Rod Laver Arena, or watched the entry of the former world number one in the battle against Antonia Ružičová on the television screen, only a few people did not have their chins dropped.
The unconventional debut collection of the two-time Australian Open winner surprised even TV experts.
“It’s so double-edged, on the one hand he says that he doesn’t want to be in the center of attention, but with such gestures he logically draws attention to himself,” said Boris Becker, for example, who performs the role of a Eurosport commentator during the opening event of the big four.
Osaka deviated from the usual order, when the players come to the court in what they end up playing in, or at most throw a sweatshirt or windbreaker on the bench.
“To be honest, I’m completely lost in it. I’ll need a few days to catch my breath and try to understand it. I was in shock,” responded former world number one Justine Henin.
The Japanese woman had an explanation for her extravagant arrival in a gown by fashion designer Robert Wun.
“It’s a model of a jellyfish. I was reading a book with my daughter a while ago where there was a picture of a jellyfish and she was excited about it. That’s when I thought of it,” she explained.
The butterfly detail on the hat is said to refer to the moment when this very insect landed on her nose during one of the matches during her winning campaign for the Australian Grand Slam in 2021.
“It works great together. It’s months of preparation and planning. I love fashion and I’m happy to be able to do something I love,” she added.
In addition, the wardrobe brought luck to Osaka. She won the first round against the Croatian in three sets and will face Romanian Sorana Cirstea on Thursday.
“What’s coming next? A shark or a koala? I’ve never seen anything like that, it was very brave,” said Barbara Schett, another former player.
