Last Updated:
For her first match to face Antonia Ruzic of Croatia at the Australian Open, Naomi Osaka chose to design her own tennis outfit that was inspired by a jellyfish.
Naomi Osaka wore a blue tennis outfit that she designed with NIke for her first match at the Australian Open
Naomi Osaka made a memorable fashion moment during her opening match at the Australian Open. She has gone viral for making her appearance in what can only be described as an outfit that resembled a jellyfish.
The tennis player, who has won four Grand Slam singles titles, including two at the U.S. Open and two in Australia in 2019 and 2021, entered one of the biggest tennis stages in a wide-brimmed hat and a veil and holding a white parasol. She wore a tennis dress that had a tie-dye effect in shades of blue and green. To play at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, the 28-year-old wore a two-tiered, pleated, wide-legged pair of trousers with sneakers.
According to the BBC Style, this outfit took month to design from scratch and Naomi Osaka said to her clothing sponsor, Nike, “Let me design this one.” The tennis champ played Antonia Ruzic of Croatia in her first round of the match. She cinched the victory with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 score.
Naomi Osaka on Jellyfish Outfit
Sharing the inspiration behind this outfit, Naomi Osaka told Vogue that the idea came to her when she was reading a storybook to her daughter, Shai. The two-year-old loves jellyfish, and the tennis star wanted to design something that showcased that love.
She said, “Reading to my daughter, discovering beauty in unexpected places like the underwater world, working with artists who care about meaning – those moments have all shaped the way I see this expression now.”
In an interview with CNN Style, Naomi Osaka went on to say, “So, the inspiration was obviously the jellyfish, then butterflies, which kind of ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,” Osaka said, recalling the images of one landing on her during a third-round match.
This was a bold move and could’ve backfired had she not won the game. She went on to add, “When I was playing today, I just told myself, like, ‘Keep your head on the path. If she beats you, then that’s unfortunate. But, hey, at least you’re trending.”
The outfit also had a major significance, as it tied in with the remodelled player tunnel at the arena, which showcases themes of the beaches.
“Honestly, it came together quite beautifully because I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here,” Naomi Osaka said, adding, “Then it just felt like everywhere I looked, the theme was water. Obviously, the walkout was like you see oceans and waves. I thought that it was really beautiful. Really amazing coincidence.”
January 21, 2026, 18:07 IST