Madison Burgess
Naomi Osaka has sent Wimbledon fans wild with her incredible walk-on outfit for her first match - all while cleverly sticking to the tournament’s strict dress code.
Japan's four-time major winner, 28, arrived at her opening match at the All England Club in southwest London on Monday (29 June), donning a graceful, full-length white kimono, featuring embroidered birds and flowers.
All eyes were on the sports star as she wore the dazzling outfit, before removing the kimono and playing the game against France’s Elsa Jacquemot in a Nike dress adorned with 3D flowers.
The ‘genius’ move quickly went viral on social media, as the latest of Osaka’s eye-catching fashion moments - something she’s become known for almost as much as her tennis talents in recent years.
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At the French Open in May, the athlete walked out in a gold sequined dress that was designed to look like the Eiffel Tower at night.
And clearly, Wimbledon’s strict, 150-year-old all-white dress code won’t be stopping her creativity from shining, as the rulebook technically says nothing about kimonos, bell sleeves, or cherry blossoms.
Tennis historian Christopher Bowers told the BBC that 'Wimbledon's dress code has become unbelievably strict,' adding that he believes 'the motivation is now one of branding'.
The expert said: "Wimbledon likes to think of itself as 'tennis in an English garden', and the white clothing just goes with the striped lawns, the Virginia creeper, the strawberries and cream, etc. It's all part of the brand, and the players are expected to play along."
As reported by The New York Times, Osaka said in a news conference on Sunday (28 June): “I’ve never thought of the color white as restrictive.
“There’s so many different patterns, fabrics, textures that you can use. So I’ve never even thought of it as something that restricts me.”
The Guardian reports that Wimbledon stressing such an emphasis on tradition is exactly what led the sports star to showcase her own heritage.
She told reporters, “I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono. You don’t have to see the colour of a kimono to know that it is a kimono.”
Osaka added that the look was also inspired by Lucy Liu’s character in the movie Kill Bill - O-Ren Ishii.
The tennis star explained: “I remembered absolutely falling in love with Lucy Liu’s character. She has an all-white kimono, and I remember thinking that was really cool and amazing. Then it just kind of went from there. It was like my interpretation of that, while also paying a lot of respect and love to Japan.”
She told British Vogue: “I like to use fashion as a medium for storytelling. Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world. The fact that people care about it and are excited to see what’s next is also pretty cool.”
The headline-making look was created alongside Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi and was made of seven different upcycled textiles.
Reacting to the showstopping outfit, one X user gushed: “I just love a lot of her fashion stuff. One of the very few players since the Williamses and Maria who are doing genuinely cool things in the space.”
While a second agreed: “Naomi Osaka absolute icon of tennis fashion and of the world.”
A third wrote: “Naomi Osaka always brings elegance and presence on and off the court.”
“The fact that she beat Wimbledon's 150-year dress code at its own game - full ceremonial robes, cranes, cherry blossoms, kanzashi hair ornament - all in white, then just peeled it off and played, is genuinely genius,” added a third.
The user later added: “Naomi Osaka's game - what she's actually doing - is using the strict all-white rule as a creative constraint rather than something to push against.
“Instead of trying to skirt the dress code or complain about it, she designs an elaborate ceremonial outer layer (cranes, cherry blossoms, obi details, all in white) for the walk-on, then removes it right before play to reveal the compliant competition dress underneath.”
Meanwhile, others chimed in with: “A beautiful blend of sport and culture” and “Why don’t we have a Naomi Osaka inspired Fashion line yet!”
All-white kits aren't the only rule Wimbledon players have to adhere to.
Wimbledon has strict rules and regulations for pretty much everything - from the length of the grass to the temperature of the tennis balls, and you can be fined thousands of pounds for certain conduct violations.
While at other grand slams, play continues late into the night, at Wimbledon there’s a strict 11pm curfew.
This means tennis fans sometimes have to go to bed on a cliffhanger.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s 2018 semi-final clash was suspended after the third set. Meanwhile, Andy Murray was particularly peeved when he was in the lead against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2023, but went on to lose when the game was paused overnight and restarted the following morning.
Players are limited to one toilet break for matches up to three sets, and two if it goes on for longer.
They can only go during a set change and they have to be back within three minutes, or they risk giving a point to their opponent.
The longest ever Wimbledon match lasted a whopping 11 hours over three days, so players better get their nervous wees in before the match.
Players can be fined up to £36,900 for smashing their rackets. Djokovic is believed to have smashed over 60 of them over the course of his career.
Bad language can also result in the same maximum fine.
As soon as the ball goes out of play, the serving player has just 25 seconds to hit their serve, or the umpire can call a violation which could potentially grant a point to their opponent.
Players must demonstrate they’re giving their all to win the match. Australian player Bernard Tomic was fined an eye-watering £45,000 after he was accused of not putting in enough effort to beat French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, losing after just 58 minutes.
Players have to be at least 14 to compete, which means youth sensations like Coco Gauff were initially barred from taking part.
Spectators, meanwhile, have to be accompanied by a guardian if they’re under 16. Under-fives aren’t permitted at all onto show courts.
Everything at Wimbledon is just so. The grass is cut to 8mm, which is apparently best suited for modern tennis play and for the grass to survive.
Meanwhile, the tennis balls are kept in a fridge in order to maintain a constant temperature of 20°C. A consistent temperature is important because it apparently affects the way the balls bounce. The more you know.
It was originally just female players who were required to wear all-white on the court. According to Tennis Fashions: Over 125 Years of Costume Change, the rule was introduced because it was ‘quite unthinkable that a lady should be seen to perspire’. OK then…
Eventually, the rule was imposed on men too.
A single trim of colour is allowed around the neckline and sleeve cuffs, but this must be no thicker than 1cm.
In 2022, an exception was made so women could wear dark undershorts to feel more comfortable if they were on their periods.