Naomi Osaka in a white kimono-inspired bridal gown holding a tennis racket on the Wimbledon grass court
REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
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Naomi Osaka Walked onto the Wimbledon Grass in a Kimono-Inspired Bridal Gown, Built from Vintage Kimonos and Deconstructed Wedding Dresses

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Wimbledon’s all-white dress code has been strictly enforced since the late 1800s. On day one of the 2026 Championships, Naomi Osaka turned it into a tribute to Japanese ceremony, with a walk from the locker room to the court built as a one-minute performance: the outer layers peeled away in seconds to reveal her match kit underneath.

The 139th edition of Wimbledon began today, Monday, June 29, and runs through July 12. The women’s final is set for Saturday, July 11, with the men’s final the following day.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, has built a second reputation at the majors for theatrical walk-on looks: a jellyfish-inspired layered entrance at the 2026 Australian Open, a black corset that opened into gold at Roland Garros. Wimbledon’s near-total ban on color was the strictest stage she’d faced yet.

Tennis player in a flowing white embroidered kimono-style gown raises a blue Yonex racket on a Wimbledon grass court.
Racket raised, Naomi Osaka commands the Wimbledon grass in a sweeping white kimono-inspired gown — built from vintage kimonos and deconstructed wedding dresses — during her court entrance. Photo by Andrew Couldridge / Reuters.

It’s also the tournament where she has the least to prove sartorially and the most to prove on court. All four of her Slam titles came on hard courts, and she’s never been past the third round at Wimbledon in her career. She arrived in London ranked No. 14, coming off her first career grass-court final at Bad Homburg, where she had to retire with a right foot injury.

The walk-on look, called “Evolving Ceremony,” was custom-designed by Tokyo-based Hana Yagi with Nike’s creative team. It draws on the white shiromuku bridal kimono and the layered junihitoe court dress of the Heian period, built from upcycled vintage kimonos, a traditional shiromuku garment, and deconstructed wedding dresses.

Tennis player in a white kimono-inspired gown carrying a blue Yonex racket walks near the umpire's chair on a Wimbledon grass court, with cameramen in the background.
Osaka walks toward her courtside chair at Wimbledon, the full embroidered train of her custom white gown trailing behind her as cameras capture the dramatic entrance. Photo by Andrew Couldridge / Reuters.

Embroidered cranes, a Japanese symbol of longevity and good fortune, run across the fabric alongside climbing cherry blossoms. The look is finished with a kanzashi hairpin, Mikimoto pearls, and a long trailing bow. The match kit underneath is a Nike “Slam” dress inspired by kirigami, with woven micro-pleating, a racerback cut, a soft curved hem, and seven 3D floral appliqués with crystal centers. The dress sold out almost immediately after Nike released it online.

Osaka returned to the tour in 2024 after the birth of her first child, and has spoken openly for years about the depression and anxiety that pulled her off the circuit in 2021. She said the Wimbledon color restriction helped her, letting her focus on texture, fabric, and silhouette instead of color.

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Naomi Osaka in a white kimono-inspired bridal gown holding a tennis racket on the Wimbledon grass court
REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
Tennis player in a flowing white embroidered kimono-style gown raises a blue Yonex racket on a Wimbledon grass court.
Racket raised, Naomi Osaka commands the Wimbledon grass in a sweeping white kimono-inspired gown — built from vintage kimonos and deconstructed wedding dresses — during her court entrance. Photo by Andrew Couldridge Reuters.
Tennis player in a white kimono-inspired gown carrying a blue Yonex racket walks near the umpire's chair on a Wimbledon grass court, with cameramen in the background.
Osaka walks toward her courtside chair at Wimbledon, the full embroidered train of her custom white gown trailing behind her as cameras capture the dramatic entrance. Photo by Andrew Couldridge Reuters.