Naomi Osaka made a dramatic entrance for her US Open night session, paying tribute to former NBA star Allen Iverson with her outfit and hairstyle.
The two-time US Open champion walked out onto Arthur Ashe Stadium in a long white skirt and a hooded robe printed with newspaper clippings about her. When she stripped off the robe to reveal a black match outfit, Osaka was sporting cornrows — a style long associated with Iverson during his MVP-era with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Osaka said the look was deliberate. “It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” she told reporters. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
She had also shown her admiration off-court, wearing a shirt bearing Iverson’s image at a media event before the tournament and calling him a “trailblazer.” Osaka praised his influence on fashion in sport and on players’ self-expression: “I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s kind of done a lot in fashion… he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress.”
The two have not met in person, Osaka added, but Iverson reached out on Instagram after her entrance, posting: “Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.”
On court, Osaka moved through to the second round with a hard-fought straight-sets win over Anastasia Zakharova, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3).
Other results from the opening day included former champion Iga Swiatek, who beat China’s Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-3. The Polish eighth seed said she felt strong from the start and credited recent good results for her confidence as she chases another Grand Slam title. “It was a good day in the office,” Swiatek said after the 88-minute match, noting she wanted to maintain energy and focus on improving the small details of her game.
American eighth seed Ben Shelton recovered from a poor first set to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2. Shelton, aiming to become the first American man to win the US Open since 2003, acknowledged early nerves but said he found his rhythm as the match progressed and paid credit to Griekspoor’s aggressive style.
In an emotional afternoon match, three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka bowed out of his final US Open and will retire at the end of the season. The 41-year-old Swiss lost to Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), 6-0. Wawrinka reflected fondly on his two decades competing in New York, saying it had been amazing to feel the city’s vibe through the years.
Berrettini will face Argentine Mariano Navone in round two. Navone produced one of the tournament’s biggest shocks earlier by beating fourth seed Novak Djokovic in a five-set upset.
The opening day reinforced that the US Open will mix fashion moments with intense competition as stars and veterans alike begin their campaigns in New York.