London: Court 2 is at one end of the All England Club, a few hundred meters from the players’ facilities. For Osaka, it just means a longer runway. The four-time Grand Slam champion arrived on Wednesday wearing a scaled-down kimono-inspired look, complete with accessories bring It follows her as she walks.On a day when her tennis was as sharp as her fashion, Osaka defeated world No. 225 Anastasia Gasanova to advance to the third round with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Wimbledon. The 28-year-old Japanese player will compete for a spot in the last 16 of the tournament when she takes on Australia’s Daria Kasatkina on Friday.After toss, Osaka unravels bring Then the floral-appliquéd bomber jacket was removed to reveal a delicately crafted tennis dress with a curved, micro-pleated hem. It’s the latest chapter in her wardrobe after arriving for her first-round match at Wimbledon on Monday in an elaborate kimono embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms.The thing about fashion is that while it can attract attention, it can’t change the scoreboard. Importantly, it creates expectations.In tennis, bold statements can garner attention and admiration, and players are judged for daring to stand out as much as for how they dress.As Osaka walked through the crowd during the first round, she could hear the “wow” coming through her headphones.The 28-year-old may not be consumed by doubt, but she’s not immune to the noise in and around the dressing room. Whatever story she chooses to tell through fashion will ultimately be amplified by her tennis. Every runway show is a fashion show until the first ball is struck. Afterwards, the costume disappears and only the tennis ball remains.“I did feel a little nervous,” she said. “I also wanted to get myself used to the feeling so it wouldn’t bother me anymore. I think the Australian Open was something I jumped into with my umbrella, my hat and everything.”What makes Osaka unique is its willingness to take the spotlight. American sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz, who wore an all-white blazer and trousers combo for her first-round match, acknowledged the weight players bear when taking such an entrance.“You show up in full suit and you get cut off in the first round and you look really stupid,” Fritz said.“I saw his strike. I thought it was cool,” Osaka said of Fritz.Osaka’s daughter, Shay, who turns three on Thursday, is of Japanese and Haitian descent and grew up in Florida.On one of her early trips to Japan, 14th Seed – a naturally introverted man – was impressed by Harajuku. Tokyo’s vibrant pedestrian areas are synonymous with the capital’s youth culture.“In Harajuku, I saw everyone expressing themselves through clothes. It was very cool and colorful. This impressed me and I used it in my fashion experiments,” she said. A few summers ago in New York, Harajuku’s influence shaped her elaborate U.S. Open outfits. In January, at Melbourne Park, she walked the court wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a blush veil and a white parasol, turning the catwalk into a fashion show in a way that few athletes before her had attempted.The walk to the court may take a minute or more, but for Osaka, it’s the beginning of risk, identity and performance.
