French Open 2024: Naomi Osaka’s ‘Dragons and Flowers’ Idea for New Nike Sneakers Turns Center of Attention in Paris

Naomi Osaka and the French Open seem to have made up after the 2021 clash with the organizers. The Japanese star stepped into the court for her opening match against Lucia Bronzetti, emerging victorious in a year that has not been on her side. The showdown came out to be a roller coaster ride as it was hard for the fans to predict the winner even in the last few minutes. However, besides the victory, what caught fan attention were Osaka’s unique Nike shoes, appearing mismatched at first.

Besides being a tennis superstar, the 4x Grand Slam champion is a creative powerhouse, which is usually visible in her outfit and shoes. Today’s pair featured one blue, and one red shoe with Naomi Osaka’s usual Japanese heritage flair. “Yes, they are the most beautiful tennis shoes ever!” Osaka delightedly said after the match. Explaining the design, she described how “they have dragons and flowers on them and there are two different colors.”

The right shoe in red stands for the “strength, power and good luck” of a mythical dragon, creatures that are considered guardian spirits in Japanese lore. The left shoe in royal blue on the other hand represents the “calming aura” of some of Osaka’s favorite flowers, per Nike. And the WTA player certainly feels that “they give me a lot of strength, which is a really good thing.”

Along with the figureheads from Japanese culture, the shoes also feature gold details in the country’s traditional ‘sashiko’ style of hand-stitching on a black background. While Osaka chose a pink outfit on her run for the French Open round 1, added a brilliant highlight to her appearance by selecting a cool pair of Nike sneakers

“Athlete. Mother. Creator. Designed for all those who make every moment their moment, the latest collection from Naomi Osaka marks a new chapter in her creative journey,” read Nike’s official post announcing the new shoes.

Listed by the name of Nike GP Challenge 1 “Naomi Osaka” Premium, the shoes are available for purchase on the brand’s official website at a reasonable price of $170. However, this wasn’t the only time when Osaka uncovered her love for unique designs and apparel.

Naomi Osaka takes a moment to pose in her charming Louis Vuitton outfit

Noami Osaka has always carried a love for creativity and designs in her outfits. Moving parallel to her love for glittering outfits, she consistently stays in touch with global brands like Louis Vuitton. Recently, the brand organized an event to showcase their most lavish outfits of the year, and guess who took the time to attend the show? Naomi Osaka, of course!

Osaka shared a post on Instagram in which she can be seen flaunting the dress she chose to wear for the event. “The stylist brought me multiple options from Louis Vuitton, but I knew immediately that I wanted to wear this skirt. It was the first thing that caught my eye on the rack,” she said, mentioning how it was a piece of cake to pick the outfit of her choice.

As Naomi Osaka continues to make fans adore her creativity along with her immense potential on the courts, it is evident that she caters to a bigger segment of the audience, beyond the love for tennis.