"The courtside photographer pit was already full 10 minutes before call time on Thursday night inside Margaret Court Arena. As all cameras pointed directly at the players' entrance, it was not difficult to understand why they were there. A day earlier, Osaka had produced one of the enduring images of the 2026 Australian Open, marching on to Rod Laver Arena in an outrageous outfit inspired by a jellyfish."
"Alongside the viral social media posts and criticisms of Osaka's fashion instincts, members of tennis's old guard have clutched tightly to their pearls. Boris Becker, for example, described Osaka's outfit as iconic but with a caveat. 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 on to centre court in an outfit like that, he said during a TV spot for TNT Sports, where he is a pundit."
The courtside photographer pit filled early at Margaret Court Arena as all cameras focused on Naomi Osaka's players' entrance. A day earlier she wore an outrageous jellyfish-inspired outfit on her walk to Rod Laver Arena; for her second-round win over Sorana Cirstea she left the hat and veil in the locker room. Viral social media reaction mixed admiration and criticism, while figures from tennis's old guard criticized her perceived contradiction between seeking privacy and making eye-catching sartorial choices. Osaka previously withdrew from a 2021 press conference citing depression, but has attended post-match media after nearly every match since. She last won a grand slam at the 2021 Australian Open and has since reached the US Open semi-finals and a WTA 1000 final.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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