Naomi Osaka’s Allen Iverson Tribute Was as Tough as It Gets

A few days into the 2026 US Open, there’s been no shortage of scintillating tennis on display, of course. But there’s also been a higher-than-normal number of nods to another sport entirely: basketball. Reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka cruised to victory in the first round wearing a Knicks-orange mesh dress. Carlos Alcaraz rocked a Phoenix Suns-esque Nike jersey during last week’s mixed-doubles tournament. And last night, two-time Open winner Naomi Osaka hit the court in a look that paid direct homage to NBA legend Allen Iverson.Iverson isn’t merely one of the most stylish hoopers of all time; the Sixers icon forever changed the way basketball players get dressed. His cornrows, shooting sleeves, tattoos, oversized tees, and jewelry paved the way for NBA players to be far more expressive with their looks both on and off the court. Osaka has carried that torch into tennis, often pulling up to tournaments in wildly avant-garde looks that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Parisian runway. Her pre-match ensembles have nodded to everything from her love of anime to her Japanese heritage, even accessorizing her outfits at last year’s Open with a series of bedazzled Labubus.Robert Prange/Getty ImagesA couple days before this year’s tournament, Osaka mentioned her love of Iverson at a press conference while wearing a tee featuring his iconic SLAM “Soul On Ice” cover. “For me he’s a trailblazer,” she said. “[He shifted] the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also expressing yourself through style.” Soon after, she arrived at a training session in an oversized tee and a white durag that felt like a subtle AI homage.CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/Getty ImagesLess subtle was her look for her first-round match on Monday. Before facing off against Anastasia Zakharova, Osaka took the court in a fit styled by Law Roach: a sleeveless hooded gown by Who Decides War, crafted from dainty tulle and rugged French terry. They even went so far as to stitch newspaper headlines featuring Osaka into the fabric. The durag, it turns out, had been obscuring intricate cornrows, which she paired with a black-and-red headband similar to the ones worn by Iverson during his Philly prime, as well as a black shooting sleeve and red wristband pulled up around her other elbow. Upon removing the dress, she played the match in a simple black tank top with gray trim, another hoops-jersey-adjacent tennis top courtesy of Nike.Like Iverson before her, Osaka has been consistently fearless in the face of undue scrutiny, speaking openly about her struggles with mental health and pushing the boundaries of a sometimes culturally conservative sport. And like Iverson before her, she’s blazed new trails and kept on winning while looking exceptionally sick doing it.