Naomi Osaka and the NikeCourt x sacai outfit at the US Open

Tennis is perhaps the most fashionable sport. Since the 1920s, when Suzanne Lenglen, with her uniform created by Jean Patou, brought flapper style to the court, and René Lacoste invented petit piqué jersey, the emblem of iconic polo shirts, to John McEnroe's headbands in the 1980s, the contamination between the two worlds has given rise to more and more new trends over the decades. Never before, however, as in 2019, designers let themselves be inspired by sport and by tennis players for capsule collections and creations, just think about the collaboration between Golf Wang and Lacoste or Serena Williams' look by Virgil Abloh. Nike and sacai are now added to the long list of projects. The American giant and the brand led by Chitose Abe have just announced that they will create the look of Naomi Osaka for the US Open, the Grand Slam tournament that always shows of bold and fancy outfits.

The Japanese athlete will take to the court in New York wearing a unique outfit, which blends tradition and modernity and is composed of a double layer skirt and a body. Osaka, the first Japanese-born player to reach the top ranking in singles, is enthusiastic about the partnership:

"This collaboration was a special one because it was the perfect marriage of elevated Japanese fashion with the practical needs of my life as an athlete. It makes me feel edgy and confident, but in an understated way. The collection is just really cool and different from anything else you see in sportswear right now... Kind of futuristic, but also really wearable streetwear."

Nike celebrated the collection with Sacai with a pop-up named Queens of the Future, in which the best tennis players participated: Markéta Vondroušová, Elina Svitolina, Madison Keys, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, Petra Kvitová, Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova, Sloane Stephens, Osaka and Serena Williams. Obviously, everyone wore Nike clothes.

Fun fact: Osaka is also testimonial of the capsule that, available from September 12, will accompany the release of the new Sacai x LDWaffle and Blazer trainers.