Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka had another stellar performance at the French Open on Thursday, but she had to work hard to avoid the exit door when she beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 in the second round.
The first-rounder’s 16th-seeded outfit drew a lot of attention, but their opponents were unimpressed. “I’m not here to see the fashion show,” Germany’s Laura Siegemund said after ending the tournament with back-to-back losses to the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Osaka wore a sequined vest blouse and black mesh train over her layered tan and gold matching dress in the opening round, and despite criticism, she arrived wearing a white floor-length flared train over her outfit for the contest against Vekic.
“I like making people nervous. I think it’s really fun,” Osaka said after her second-round win.
“I feel like a community has been built around the on-court outfits, so we want to keep you guessing. We’re so glad you’re enjoying it.”
On another hot day in Paris, the Japanese exchanged breaks freely with Vekic in the opening match at Court Simonne-Mathieu, before finding his best form during the tie-break to win by just one point.
Osaka saved a break point in the second set to close out the win in 1 hour and 50 minutes, advancing to the third round for the first time since 2019.
She will face 16th seed Iva Jovic after earlier beating compatriot Emma Navarro 6-0 6-3.
At the Australian Open earlier this year, Osaka paraded around wearing a wide-brimmed hat and veil and holding a white parasol.
And at last year’s U.S. Open, she wore a sparkling red rose in her ponytail over her red outfit and even a boubou named ‘Billie Jean Bling’.
So how does Osaka shift her focus from a spectacular entrance to a tennis match minutes later?
“I’m a little bit used to it now,” she said. “The US Open, with the rose in my hair, that’s when I really started to get into it more. Definitely the conversation with Australia was the start of a real conversation, so I don’t think it’s that big of a deal to do something like that and then play.
The Japanese star impressed at the Australian Open earlier this year.
“Athletes are in show business. Playing in a Grand Slam is the only time I feel like a celebrity.”
‘I wasn’t afraid for my life’ – Osaka suffers car accident in Paris before winning the second round
In a post-game interview, Osaka also described a car accident she experienced in Paris when a bus was reversing into the vehicle she was riding.
“I wasn’t scared for my life, but I thought, ‘Wow, this bus is really backing towards us,’ and I could hear the car screeching. Yeah, it was a really interesting situation, so I hope that doesn’t happen again today.”
Osaka was also asked about reports that 23-time major champion Serena Williams is planning to come out of retirement to play doubles at Queen’s and return to Wimbledon next month, a tournament she has won seven times.
“I think the scope of it will get people to watch tennis. She always brings an audience, so yeah, I think that’s good,” Osaka said of the 44-year-old American.
“I think everyone knows Serena and Venus (Williams) were my role models growing up, so it will be great to see her back on the field.”
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