Story perspectives

Naomi Osaka Loses US Open Fourth Round to Rybakina

9/10/2026

Summary

Osaka Faces Criticism

Naomi Osaka lost to Elena Rybakina 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open fourth round.
She partnered with stylist Law Roach to showcase designs by Who Decides War, Thom Browne and KidSuper.
Her first outfit combined a Who Decides War robe with a white tulle skirt, honoring Allen Iverson.
After the match, Osaka posted on Threads that outfit criticism is a price she pays, recalling 2021 backlash.

Summary

Black Athletes Dress

The Long Wave team says modern Black athletes’ flamboyant outfits extend a tradition of cultural self-expression.
Historical dress restrictions, from colonial slave laws to 19th-century Tignon Laws, seeded defiant athlete style.
Allen Iverson’s street-style influence triggered the NBA’s 2005-06 dress-code crackdown on durags, chains, and baggy tees.
Serena Williams’ 2021 Australian Open catsuit honored sprinter Florence ‘Flo-Jo’ Griffith Joyner’s bold track uniforms.

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Osaka Faces Criticism

Naomi Osaka lost to Elena Rybakina 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open fourth round.
She partnered with stylist Law Roach to showcase designs by Who Decides War, Thom Browne and KidSuper.
Her first outfit combined a Who Decides War robe with a white tulle skirt, honoring Allen Iverson.
After the match, Osaka posted on Threads that outfit criticism is a price she pays, recalling 2021 backlash.

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