Naomi Osaka’s ‘Fashion Show,’ Facial Tattoos Rev Up French Open Fashion

Fans and foes have been weighing in about Naomi Osaka’s elaborate on-court fashions, Oleksandra Oliynykova’s adhesive facial tattoos and Aryna Sabalenka’s 200-carat necklaces at this year’s French Open.

Osaka’s red-carpet-worthy entrance and unrobing to reveal an Eiffel Tower-inspired golden Nike dress prompted criticism from her first-round opponent Laura Siegemund for putting on a fashion show and taking up time. Roland-Garros has long been an epicenter for breakout fashion moments on court, such as when Suzanne Lenglen abandoned the customary long skirts for sleeveless tops and calf-baring hemlines in the 1920s.

While Oliynykova’s temporary tattoos on her face accentuate the bolder ones on her arms, the 25-year-old Ukrainian’s recent post-match press conference stoked debate. Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine Oliynykova claimed that Russian players are “part of the propaganda,” and that by staying silent they are supporting the regime. With millions tuning in from around the globe for the early rounds of competition, the French Open serves up a platform for fashion and political statements. Here’s how a few leading voices in sports sized up the scene so far.

Gina Antoniello, chair of New York University’s Women’s Sports Collective, said Friday, “Athlete fashion becomes powerful, when it turns the uniform into authorship. The body is already highly regulated in sport; when athletes alter dress, hair, accessories, tattoos, or gear, they are often challenging who gets to control their image and what meanings are allowed inside the competitive space.”

Representatives at Nike, which sponsors Osaka and Oliynykova, did not respond to media requests.

The “fashion show” criticism of Osaka misses the fact that tennis has long depended on fashion, glamour, and personality to build its stars, Antoniello said. Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Anna Kournikova attracted many. And this year’s finals will reel in millions of viewers after last year’s record-breaking tally of 324 million viewers.

Sunita Kumar Nair, the author of “ACE: The Times & Style of Tennis,” which will be released Tuesday, said, “I feel that Naomi’s story is the start of this fashion parade. There will be more to come for sure.”

Aryna Sabalenka’s current Vogue cover and the three necklace strands studded with rubies and diamonds for her first-round French Open match were other indicators. (The 12-carat oval-shaped engagement ring that Sabalenka’s fiancé Georgios Frangulis gave her in March was a sparkler, too.) All-in with the trend, provided that it doesn’t interfere with the “machinations of the play,” Nair said such self-expression can alleviate the stress and tensions of competition. “If fashion makes you feel empowered and ready to win, why not?” she asked rhetorically.

In fact, another French Open player, Coco Gauff, once told Nair that sometimes wearing a really great outfit makes Gauff want to keep winning so that “it will be seen again and again.”

While hardcore tennis commentators might want Osaka to focus on the technical aspects of the game, Nair said when an athlete feels good in their skin — physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically, that is reflected in their appearance. “Naomi has been pretty vocal about the hurdles that she has gone through in her career. It feels like she’s found a groove and a voice for her fashion,” she said.

Ellen Staurowsky, professor of sports media at Ithaca College, noted that Osaka’s unofficial fashion show occurred on the Suzanne Lenglen court, which is named for the 1920s French tennis star, who “was a fashion icon in her day and a symbol of freedom and womanhood.” Considering that female players are referred to as “queens of the court,” Osaka’s grand entrance was a literal interpretation of that, she said. “You would think there would be some tolerance for that kind of presence, given how that expression is often used to build sports narratives.

Staurowsky noted how Roland-Garros’ red clay courts became a red carpet for Osaka. That said, she understands how a top-level player who is facing a competitive player would like to get on with the match. 

Oliynykovia’s impassioned first-round press conference showed how the French Open provided a platform to make a statement about her war-torn homeland. “You don’t walk onto a tennis court and magically have all of the other realities in your life disappear,” she said. “When you think of women athletes as powerful, she was speaking truth to power.”

Antoniello suggested that Oliynykova is using her body as “a message board for national identity and wartime grief.” Her temporary tattoos may look playful at first glance, but in relation to her press conference comments they reflect “a broader struggle for visibility,” she said.

Syracuse University sports management professor Richard Burton was more nonplussed about the French Open. “Players in so many leagues have tattoos and have used their platforms to introduce fashion. The average fan has come to understand that sport, fashion, entertainment, media and technology are intertwined. Everybody is trying to make a statement one way or the other for followers or likes,” he said.