WTA Star Claims Naomi Osaka ‘Definitely Wants Attention’ With On-Court Outfits

Naomi Osaka surely knows how to attract fans’ attention with her unique and mesmerizing outfits. She especially ramps up her fashion game during the Grand Slams, and her walk-on fits are known to blend high fashion with her identity and grab headlines on almost all occasions. While Osaka has firmly said that she doesn’t wear the outfits for attention, WTA pro Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has a very different take on the matter.

“She [Naomi Osaka] definitely wants attention because I think when you go out in such outfits, you can’t later say, ‘No, I don’t need attention,’” she said during a recent interview with TennisBolshe. “Her results have been much better now than before, but nevertheless, she still doesn’t reach the semifinals or even the second week, yet people still talk about her.” [Trans. from Russian]

“I respect her for that, and whoever is on her team – who came up with that, or maybe she did it herself, because all they talk about is her outfit, even when she only played the first round.”

Pavlyuchenkova’s statement does make sense, as Osaka always garners buzz for her outfits, even if she gets eliminated in the first few rounds of a Grand Slam. She has also gotten criticized at times for focusing too much on her fashion and not improving her game.

Osaka had first come under scrutiny at the 2026 Australian Open. She stepped onto the court in a blue-green fit that resembled a jellyfish. She completed the look with a hat, veil, and a parasol. While the outfit did garner a lot of attention, Osaka wasn’t at her best when it came to her performance.

The Japanese looked shaky in the opening two rounds, edging Antonia Ruzic (6-3, 3-6, 6-4) and Sorana Cirstea (6-3, 4-6, 6-2). She was then scheduled to face Maddison Inglis in the third round, but was forced to pull out due to a recurring abdominal injury that had worsened during her pre-match warm-up.

The tennis community was also left divided over Osaka’s outfit at the 2026 French Open. She wore a custom Nike outfit that was designed by Kevin Germanier, inspired by the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower. However, she failed to make a deep run into the Grand Slam and was defeated 7-5, 6-3 by Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round.

This once again led to criticism, with fans asking her to focus on tennis. It is safe to say that she gave a fitting reply to all her critics at Wimbledon this year. The 28-year-old wore a custom all-white outfit that was designed by Hana Yagi, paying homage to her culture with a look inspired by the Japanese kimono.

Unlike the previous two Grand Slams, Osaka would deliver a strong performance at SW19. She reached the quarterfinals after defeating players like Daria Kasatkina and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

While Osaka’s campaign did come to an end against Karolina Muchova, she still managed to surpass her previous best at the Grand Slam, which was reaching the third round. She will likely be brimming with confidence heading into the hard-court season.

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