Naomi Osaka fires back at ‘classless’ critics after Australian Open outfit is compared to ‘Mary Poppins’
Naomi Osaka has fired back at critics of her Australian Open outfit, labelling them ‘classless’ after being compared to Mary Poppins by Jamie Murray.
The four-time Grand Slam champion walked onto court for her first-round match against Antonia Ruzic with a bold outfit – featuring a veil, parasol, and long cape.
Osaka has been no stranger to unconventional fashion choices, from dramatic bows to protest face masks.
“Nike let me design this one,” said at the time.
“It’s modelled after a jellyfish. I’m just so grateful I get to be able to do the things I love.
“It’s really beautiful.”
The idea was formed after reading a book about a jellyfish to her two-year-old daughter, collaborating with Nike and London-based fashion designer Robert Wun to materialise the concept.
Osaka went on to defeat Ruzic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 on Tuesday, before withdrawing from the tournament before her third-round match, due to left abdominal pain – a longstanding issue.
However, not everyone shared the same opinion about the design, with former world No 1 men’s doubles player Jamie Murray taking time during an appearance on BBC 5 Live Sport to shoot down the concept.
“It was like Mary Poppins,” commented the Brit.
“I don’t know what she was on but she’s on something.
“For me, I was just like, ‘What are you doing?'”
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Eliza West, a tennis fashion content Instagram creator, also featured alongside Murray, but went further, claiming the outfit was ‘disrespectful’ to the history of tennis.
“I would agree with Jamie that, for me, I felt like there was an element of disrespect towards the sport of tennis not walking onto the court with your racquets and creating such a show in front of your opponent in a first round, requesting a night match…the reason being to show off your outfit,” she argued.
“It just takes away from the show which is the tennis and what we’re all here to enjoy.
“I know she finds joy in fashion but for me, there’s such a rich history between tennis and fashion and there’s so many other elements of it that we could have weaved into an outfit like this and paid respect to”
When asked whether she could appreciate the piece as a fashion statement, West said: “No, I didn’t. It kind of looked a bit cheap and a little bit tacky. I don’t think it belonged on a red carpet like a Met Gala and I don’t think it belonged here.”
On Friday, Osaka took to Threads to fire back at both Murray and West, as well as wider critics, saying she ‘sees it for what it is.’
“There’s a demographic that’s been talking about ‘traditional’ tennis outfits and calling me classless for what I wear,” she stated.
“To be honest, I see it for what it is. I don’t do this for them though – they will never get it, and I don’t want them to. I do this for the people that are like me.”
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