Naomi Osaka Channels Allen Iverson in Custom Look at 2026 US Open
Naomi Osaka wore a custom, Allen Iverson-inspired Who Decides War gown with sewn-in career-highlight newspaper clippings for her first-round match at the 2026 US Open, continuing a season-long run of elaborate tennis fashion statements.
Osaka turns heads with Allen Iverson-inspired look at US Open
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka walked onto the court for her first-round match at the 2026 US Open wearing a custom Who Decides War tulle and French terry gown with newspaper clippings of her career highlights sewn into the fabric. The piece, created by designers Téla D'Amore and Ev Bravado and styled by Law Roach, was reported by Vogue.
The look was inspired by basketball legend Allen Iverson, after Nike built this year's US Open kits around a basketball theme. "Nike said basketball, so I said, I'll give you basketball," Osaka said in her on-court interview, according to The New York Times.
The gown's silhouette referenced a Fall 2020 Off-White dress by the late Virgil Abloh, mentor to D'Amore and Bravado, who reportedly had roughly 30 hours to complete the design. Osaka completed the tribute with cornrows, a sweatband, an arm sleeve and a headband — all staples of Iverson's on-court style.
A season-long fashion campaign
In the days before the tournament, Osaka drew attention with photoshoots around the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including a Dolce & Gabbana dress also styled by Roach. At her pre-tournament press conference she wore a throwback Iverson T-shirt paired with a 1997 US Open cap — her birth year — which she said was "a spectacular eBay purchase." "He's a trailblazer... he's shifted the way that NBA players dress," Osaka said of Iverson. Iverson responded on social media, writing: "Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can't wait to meet you," according to The New York Times.
This season Osaka has already debuted several elaborate outfits: a jellyfish-inspired aqua look at the Australian Open, a bronze Eiffel Tower-themed dress with overskirts at the French Open, and a white embroidered kimono at Wimbledon. Sources differ slightly on the latter — WTA Tennis describes it as a "Kill Bill-inspired kimono," while The New York Times calls it a "meticulously embroidered, snow-white kimono ensemble."
The 28-year-old, a two-time US Open champion currently ranked world No. 13, won her opening match 7-6(6), 7-6(3) against Anastasia Zakharova.
