Boris Becker has lashed out at the “contradiction” over Naomi Osaka’s flamboyant participation in the Australian Open.
The Japanese star walked out for her first-round match at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday night wearing a jellyfish-inspired flowing green and white outfit, accessorized with a white hat, veil and parasol.
While big names in the tennis world making fashion statements are far from new, Osaka’s ensemble has taken things to a new level.
Former world number 1 Becker, a pundit for TNT Sports, had mixed feelings about the look, saying: “These are obviously images for the media.
“The way she entered the field is already iconic. No other player has dared to wear such an outfit.
“But there is also a contradiction: on the one hand, she doesn’t want to be under so much pressure, she doesn’t want to be in the public eye and in the media so much – and then she comes onto center court in such an outfit.
“That of course puts her back in the public eye. I would like to point out that she also needed a mental break a few years ago. For me, it is generally important that the focus here is on the sport.”
Osaka found herself at the center of a storm at the 2021 French Open after announcing ahead of the tournament that she would not hold press conferences.
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She subsequently withdrew from the event after one round and played only three more tournaments that year, citing her mental health.
Discussing the two sides of her personality in her press conference after beating Antonia Ruzic 6-3 3-6 6-4, Osaka said: “For me, I feel like when I step on the court, I’m not the me you’re talking to right now.
“In a normal environment, I would never shout ‘Come on’ so loudly. I almost feel like I’m a Barbie dressing up and going onto the field and doing something. When I come back to the locker room, I’m just like my real, calm Naomi.”
Osaka was a failure in the final set and when asked if her striking entrance put more pressure on her to win, the four-time Grand Slam champion said: “I realize I’m a bit strange because I don’t really care.
“I just feel like I want to do things that create joy and happiness. Obviously, I really love fashion. That makes me excited to wake up and do the whole walk-on or whatever. It just brings a little more joy to that whole competition prep.”
“When I was playing today, I said to myself, ‘Keep your head on the path. If she beats you, too bad. But hey, at least you’re trending on Twitter.’
Osaka’s look drew approval – and a little jealousy – from world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
“I think yesterday that fit her personality perfectly, her culture and a lot of things,” Sabalenka said.
“That was pretty cool. I wish Nike would let me do stuff like that. I was imagining things, trying to work it out, but not good enough yet. But next year I’ll definitely come up with something cool.”
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