Naomi Osaka has returned to Indian Wells—aka the BNP Paribas Open. The four-time Grand Slam winner, seeded 16th, is facing Andorra’s 97th-ranked Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva. This marks Osaka’s first tournament since withdrawing from the Australian Open in January due to a persistent abdominal injury.
Osaka’s Return to the Court
“I’m feeling really inspired,” Osaka said days before the match. “Indian Wells is one of those tournaments that has its own energy—the desert, the light, the crowd. It feels cinematic in a way. I’m excited to step back into that space and compete again.”
Osaka is bringing her A-game for her return to the tour, both in terms of skill and personal style. For both Indian Wells and the ensuing Miami Open, she’ll be wearing her customary Nike performance attire, as well as new custom pieces from the Filipino-American designer Chris Habana.
Fashion and Functionality on the Court
“When I first saw my Nike kit, my team and I started asking a bigger question: How do we build a world around it?” says Osaka. “I’ve always loved magazines and fashion editorials, so my brain naturally went to jewelry and accessories—pieces that could extend the story.”
To go with her Nike ensemble built for movement—an animal-printed top with a mesh back, and shorts—Habana crafted edgier, more avant-garde accessories for her. The Habana pieces include bold ear cuffs, mesh gloves, fang-like grills, and a chainmail skirt. These accessories immediately imbued Osaka with a sense of confidence and power.
“He’s created these really layered pieces for artists that feel expressive, but also intentional,” says Osaka. I loved the idea of bringing that energy onto the court.”
The Design Collaboration
“I like when fashion creates that little moment of intrigue,” says Osaka of her court style.
“One of the first things I wanted was a functional ear cuff that could hold my earbuds during warmups, but still feel cool,” says Osaka of how the collaboration began. “That piece became a little anchor for the collection.”
For Habana, outfitting an athlete proved to be an exciting new challenge, given he is more so used to outfitting stars for the musical stage or the runway. “Naomi’s walk onto the court isn’t that different from a model walking a runway,” he says. “The look has to create instant impact, tell a story, and intrigue people.
The biggest challenge was designing pieces that could come on and off seamlessly so her transition into the match didn’t feel cumbersome.” From there, Osaka and Habana evolved the story, and came up with pieces like gloves and grills that further help get her into a game-ready headspace.
The pieces will keep evol