Sport's Evolving Style.
Naomi Osaka's Wimbledon fashion choices spark debate, influencing sport dress codes and commercial trends.
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Key Points
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Osaka’s Wimbledon walk-on on Court 3 featured a lace kimono and a long flowing skirt, a look tied to Japanese ceremonial-inspired design; Wimbledon chief Sally Bolton said the club is 'very relaxed so long as it meets the all-white dress code.'
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The outfits have drawn vocal pushback from some rivals—Roland Garros opponent Laura Siegemund said she came to play tennis, not for a fashion show ('I came here to play tennis, not to put on a fashion show'), while peers such as Donna Vekić defended Osaka’s expressive style as a form of fashion/ sporting expression.
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Osaka’s off-court fashion power is underscored by Nike’s substantial sponsorship (roughly £7.5 million per year) as she continues to roll out high-profile fashion-driven gear and walk-on outfits tied to the brand.
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The Kirigami-inspired Nike dress defined a new era of athleisure for Wimbledon: a white kit built around Kirigami motifs with seven intricate 3D flowers, designed to honor Osaka’s Japanese heritage while meeting grass-court dress rules; the collection sold out globally within hours after release.
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Beyond the Kirigami dress, Osaka’s broader collaboration with Hana Yagi and the team emphasizes fashion as storytelling—Vogue highlights a ceremonial-inspired white creation with cranes, cherry blossoms, a trailing bow, kanzashi hair ornament and Mikimoto jewelry, reinforcing how dress codes and ceremony shape the sport’s culture.
Naomi Osaka walked onto Court 3 at Wimbledon on June 29 wearing a custom lace kimono robe embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms, paired with a traditional kanzashi hair ornament. She then removed it to reveal a Nike dress featuring seven 3D-appliquéd flowers inspired by Kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting. The look drew gasps from the crowd and went viral within hours, The Independent reported.
Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton said the club is "very relaxed so long as it meets the all-white dress code." That simple sign-off has opened the door to one of tennis's most talked-about fashion moments of 2026, WTOP reported.
The Kimono Walk-On That Stopped Wimbledon
Osaka, ranked No. 15 in the world, designed the walk-on look with Japanese designer Hana Yagi. The all-white ceremonial robe honored Japanese tradition while staying inside Wimbledon's strict color rules. "Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world," Osaka told British Vogue. She added that "not having to think about the color allows you to highlight other cool features like fabrics and textures."
The dress underneath the robe was Nike's $185 "Slam" collection piece, built around Kirigami motifs. Nike placed seven 3D flowers on the dress with care, so none of them would get in the way of her racquet swing. Select sizes sold out globally within 24 hours of the collection dropping on June 21, according to Sports Illustrated.
Rivals Split Over Fashion Show Versus Tennis Match
Not everyone has cheered Osaka's walk-on ritual. At Roland Garros, opponent Laura Siegemund went public with her frustration. "I came here to play tennis, not to put on a fashion show," Siegemund said, per Sky Sports. She argued that Osaka takes "a minute and a half" to remove her ceremonial layers while other players have "every second counted" against them.
Fellow player Donna Vekić pushed back on the criticism. "Relax, it's just an outfit. It's not such a big deal. She has the opportunity to do that, so why not?" Vekić said. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also backed Osaka, saying, "I love that she is expressing herself and feels confident." The debate has raised the possibility that the WTA could create new rules around walk-on attire and changing time.
A 149-Year-Old Dress Code Bends Without Breaking
Wimbledon's all-white rule dates back 149 years. In 1985, the club banned Anne White's white spandex bodysuit for not being "suitable attire." But the modern club has taken a softer line. Officials now focus purely on color, not structure or theatrics. That shift lets Osaka push creative boundaries while technically following the rules, WTOP reported.
Osaka herself reframed the rule as creative freedom. "I've never thought of the color white as a restriction," she said at her pre-tournament press conference on June 28. Wimbledon gains global viral attention from her walk-ons. Osaka gets a stage. The AELTC's "relaxed" stance looks less like leniency and more like a deliberate trade-off.
Osaka's Fashion Moves More Money Than Her Rankings Do
Osaka's Nike deal pays her roughly £7.5 million — about $10 million — per year. Her total endorsement portfolio is estimated at $15–$20 million annually, according to Forbes. That number far outpaces what most players in the top 15 earn off the court. The sell-out of the $185 Slam dress weeks before her tournament debut shows her commercial pull is tied to culture, not just trophies.
In 2026 alone, Osaka has debuted three distinct fashion themes: a "Jellyfish" motif at the Australian Open, a "Gold Eiffel Tower" dress at Roland Garros, and now the ceremonial kimono at Wimbledon. "Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I'm an entertainer," she told the Associated Press. Her court appearances have become a recurring cultural moment, as much anticipated as her first serve.
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