Naomi Osaka walked onto the court at Wimbledon on the first day of the tournament wearing a floor-length ruffled gown inspired by Japanese ceremonial dress, embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms. The outfit, created alongside Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi, consisted of seven different textiles upcycled from vintage kimonos and a traditional shiromuku wedding dress, and included a traditional obi belt and a kanzashi hair ornament.
Osaka's fashion as storytelling
Osaka, 28, told reporters that Wimbledon's emphasis on tradition inspired her to reflect on her own cultural heritage. "I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono. You don't have to see the colour of a kimono to know that it is a kimono," she said. She also cited Lucy Liu's character in Kill Bill as an unexpected muse: "She has an all-white kimono, and I remember thinking that was really cool and amazing. It was like my interpretation of that while also paying a lot of respect and love to Japan."
Osaka approached the designer directly rather than through Nike, her sponsor, and said wearing extravagant outfits is a personal passion. Her choice prompted questions from fellow players, and she observed fans turning their bodies to get a better look. "I thought that was really fun," she said, acknowledging the added pressure not to "wear a ball gown and drop out in the first round." She told British Vogue: "I like to use fashion as a medium for storytelling. Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world."
Designer's vision and Nike kit
Yagi said: "I wanted the garment to exist as the moment before performance. The walk-on surrounds Naomi in ceremony, while the Nike kit represents the athlete in competition. I thought about them as two chapters within the same story." Underneath the gown, Osaka wore a white Nike performance dress with 3D floral motifs inspired by Japanese kirigami paper-cutting, adorned with seven 3D flowers with bejewelled centres. That dress sold out within hours of its release last week.
Osaka, the No. 14 seed, removed the gown before facing France's Elsa Jacquemot. The All England Lawn Tennis Club chief executive, Sally Bolton, said of Osaka's daring walk-on outfits: "We're very relaxed so long as it meets the all-white dress code."
British players falter on opening day
The opening day was disappointing for homegrown talent. The top two British players, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, withdrew due to injury. The other six British players in action—Mika Stojsavjlevic, Alicia Dudeney, Max Basing, Harriet Dart, Cam Norrie, Mimi Xu, and Oliver Tarvet—were all knocked out.
By 8:30 a.m., 10,000 people were already in the Wimbledon queue, with some fans having joined the line on Saturday morning. Bolton said the queue has become increasingly popular due to more travel options, such as Lime bikes. "We are advising people if they haven't already set off to travel, not to travel because the queue is effectively full," she said.
Queue culture and fan experiences
Queue-goers told the Guardian they had scoured social media for tips. Daria Wenger drove from Beckenham and joined the queue at 2 a.m., sleeping in a tent with her family. "The weather was kind to us. It takes time, but it's fun. It's additional entertainment," she said. Lily and Kai Cheng flew from New York, arriving at 6 p.m. on Sunday, and booked an Uber at 5 a.m. after consulting ChatGPT. "There were already 5,000 people ahead of us," said Lily. "Wimbledon is more fair for people who really want to watch tennis. The US Open is about who has the most money."
Renee Sang and Joshua Sodergren arrived by Uber at 4 a.m. and got ground passes just before noon. Sang said: "I feel like this is the most orderly queue. It's just very well-structured. I thought we'd be roughing it more, but there are bathrooms." They used Reddit advice to arrive half an hour earlier. Nino Bianco, 44, from Luton, left his hotel at 4 a.m. after missing out two years ago. "I just love the experience. The queue is like a ritual to get you into the mood," he said. Hannah Stuart and Rosie McGahn, both 26, arrived at 7 p.m. to camp overnight after consulting TikTok. They received number 2,200 in the queue and were woken at 5 a.m. by stewards.
Bolton, who is stepping down at the end of the championships, said the club is adapting the queue due to its popularity. "People are getting there earlier and earlier because they recognise that the dynamics of travel have changed a little bit, so you do have to now get here really quite early to be at the front of the queue."
