Naomi Osaka opened her US Open campaign with another eye-catching outfit, walking onto Arthur Ashe Stadium in a hooded white gown decorated with newspaper cuttings celebrating her career highlights, before revealing an all-black basketball-style kit underneath inspired by NBA legend Allen Iverson. The four-time Grand Slam champion, who won the New York title in 2018 and 2020, has become known for elaborate fashion statements at every major this year, following a jellyfish-themed look at the Australian Open, a golden Eiffel Tower-inspired dress in Paris, and a white kimono at Wimbledon.

On court, the 13th seed's performance was shakier than her outfit, as she needed two tie-breaks to beat Russia's Anastasia Zakharova, ranked 101st in the world, 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-3), completing victory just before 00:30 local time. Osaka explained her Iverson-inspired look paid tribute to his influence on sports fashion, and said she deliberately wanted to keep winning so she could reveal further outfits, ahead of a second-round meeting with the Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova.